The ongoing insurgency that has raged across much of Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, has brought misery and suffering to the nation of 21 million.
Visible reminders of the struggle are everywhere. A burned-out truck has become an unlikely playground for children. Another charred vehicle sits on the edge of a field of maze.
Kibsa Ouedraogo, who has a swagger General Patton would admire, heads a local militia group, Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP). It has clashed with terrorists across Burkina Faso’s North Central region since its founding in 2020.
