The former foreign minister and opposition politician of Burkina Faso, Ablassé Ouedraogo, reappeared two months after his disappearance in a video in which he is seen armed with Kalashnikov carry out a military exercise, presumably at the front.

The “RFI” broadcaster reports this, recalling that last November Ouedraogo’s party had reported his seizure on orders of the authorities to enlist him in the fight against terrorism.

In the photos and videos circulating on social media, the former minister and presidential candidate in the last elections, 70 years of age, can be seen dressed in a camouflage suit holding an Ak47 and carrying out military maneuvers following the orders given to him by the cameraman.

It is not clear when these shots were taken but the regional media underline the serious expression of the politician, usually known for his jovial character.

Alongside Ouedraogo, in the video, you can also recognize it Issiaka Ouedraogo, president of the Council for Information and Monitoring of Government Actions, arrested after denouncing what he had criticized as the “amateurism” of the transitional government, and Daouda Diallo, general secretary of the collective against impunity and stigmatization of community, arrested in early December.

According to some, the images are part of a warning strategy implemented by the military junta that came to power with a coup d’état on 30 September 2022. Led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the latter had in turn deposed another group of soldiers coup plotters who had ousted former president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January under the leadership of Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

Recently, Traoré warned his supporters that he would not go soft on “the traitors” of Burkina Faso.

The armed forces of the Burkina Faso they launched a popular mobilization to face terrorist groups by starting the recruitment of a total of 50 thousand volunteers. According to what the “RFI” broadcaster reports, 35 thousand volunteers will be recruited on behalf of the country’s municipalities and another 15 thousand to become part of the newly established Patriotic Guard and Defense Brigade, whose creation was decided during a Superior Council of defense under the then transitional president Paul Henri Damiba, overthrown by the coup d’état of last September 30th. The brigade’s missions will mainly concern the operational coordination of the civil protection of the territory, the contribution to intelligence research and the defense of some parts of the territory if necessary.

In addition to this, Traoré initiated a complex operation to finance military activities in Burkina Faso, imposing taxes on goods and promoting the active participation of citizens in the fight against terrorism.

Thus the self-defense brigades were born, made up of private citizens willing to support the military for the security of their territory, who are trained by the army and then armed.

The military junta has announced the recruitment of 6 young people to be sent to the front after their training. According to official data, around 60 percent of the national territory is in the hands of armed groups.