The Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie: Burkina Faso’s Civilian Militia

In the dusty villages and towns of Burkina Faso, tens of thousands of ordinary citizens have taken up arms alongside the national military. They are the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie—the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland—known simply as the VDP. Born from desperation in the face of a devastating jihadist insurgency, this civilian auxiliary force has become a cornerstone of Burkina Faso’s counterinsurgency strategy, yet it remains deeply controversial.

Origins: From Crisis to Creation

The VDP emerged in response to escalating jihadist violence that has plagued Burkina Faso since the mid-2010s. Armed groups affiliated with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, and Ansarul Islam have carried out increasingly deadly attacks across the country, particularly in the northern and eastern regions.

The catalyst came on November 7, 2019, when jihadists attacked a mining convoy, prompting President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré to call for the creation of a civilian self-defense force. On January 21, 2020, Burkina Faso’s parliament unanimously passed legislation establishing the VDP as official auxiliaries to the national armed forces and internal security forces.

The VDP built upon existing self-defense traditions in Burkina Faso, particularly the Koglweogo (“guardians of the bush” in Mooré), community watch groups that had emerged in 2013 to combat banditism. The new law formalized and militarized these civilian initiatives, placing them under state supervision and military command.

Structure and Training

The VDP operates as an irregular auxiliary force supporting Burkina Faso’s Armed Forces. After a brief two-week training period at regional military garrisons or at the National Patriotic Watch Brigade training center in Ouagadougou, volunteers are equipped with weapons, communication equipment, and vision gear before being deployed to their communities.

VDP units are placed under the command of the nearest military detachment, specialized police units, gendarmerie brigade, or local police station. They are organized into different categories, including national VDP who can be deployed across the country for offensive operations, and communal VDP who focus on defensive protection of their local territories.

The volunteers receive a monthly stipend—currently 80,000 CFA francs (approximately $130 USD) as of 2024, up from an initial 60,000 CFA francs. In addition to their salary, VDP members receive food and fuel allocations, insurance coverage, and their families are entitled to death benefits and burial expenses if they are killed in action.

Massive Expansion Under Military Rule

The VDP’s role expanded dramatically following two military coups in 2022. Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in September 2022, made the reconquest of territory from jihadist groups his top priority and vastly increased VDP recruitment and deployment.

In October 2022, Burkina Faso launched a campaign to recruit 50,000 new VDP members. By late November, authorities announced they had recruited 90,000 people, though not all would ultimately join the force. According to official figures, the VDP may now outnumber Burkina Faso’s regular armed forces, which reportedly total around 14,000 personnel.

This massive recruitment drive was partly fueled by the “Patriotic Support Fund,” a fundraising campaign that collected billions of CFA francs from associations, businesses, and Burkinabè expatriates to support the war effort and equip the VDP.

Critical Contributions to Burkina Faso’s Defense

The VDP has become indispensable to Burkina Faso’s counterinsurgency efforts, providing capabilities and force multiplication that the regular military desperately needed. Operating in some of the country’s most dangerous regions, VDP members have proven themselves as vital partners to the Armed Forces.

Local Knowledge and Intelligence: Perhaps the VDP’s greatest contribution comes from volunteers’ intimate understanding of their communities and terrain. VDP members serve as guides and trackers for military operations, identifying safe routes, potential ambush sites, and suspicious movements that outsiders would miss. Their ability to distinguish residents from infiltrators has provided intelligence that regular forces, often unfamiliar with remote areas, could not obtain on their own.

Force Multiplication and Territorial Control: With the regular armed forces numbering only around 14,000 personnel, the VDP’s expansion to tens of thousands of volunteers has dramatically increased Burkina Faso’s ability to maintain a presence across its vast territory. VDP units hold defensive positions, guard critical infrastructure, protect villages, and patrol areas where the military cannot maintain permanent bases. This allows regular forces to focus on offensive operations rather than being spread thin across static defensive duties.

Combat Operations: The VDP actively participates in joint operations with the Armed Forces, contributing to sweeps, ambush responses, and counterattacks against jihadist positions. Their willingness to fight for their own communities often translates into determined resistance against insurgent attacks. During major operations like “Operation Green Whirlwind,” VDP units have fought alongside soldiers in some of the most intense combat zones.

Rapid Response and Early Warning: Embedded within communities, VDP members provide early warning of jihadist movements and can respond immediately to threats while regular forces mobilize. This local presence has disrupted insurgent operations and prevented attacks that might otherwise have succeeded before military reinforcements could arrive.

Community Defense and Morale: The VDP’s presence has allowed communities to remain in contested areas rather than abandoning their homes to insurgent control. This has prevented the complete collapse of state authority in some regions and maintained civilian morale by demonstrating that people can actively defend themselves rather than simply enduring violence.

Challenges and Growing Pains

The VDP’s rapid expansion has not been without complications. The force has faced accusations of human rights violations, particularly against Fulbe (Peul) communities, who have long faced stigmatization and accusations of collaborating with jihadists.

Human Rights Watch reported in May 2025 that VDP members and armed forces committed mass atrocities against Fulbe civilians during “Operation Green Whirlwind 2” around Solenzo in Banwa province in March 2025. The organization described these as “ethnic massacres.” Reports of extrajudicial killings, pillaging, and attacks on civilian populations suspected of terrorist collaboration have emerged regularly.

The Fulbe community faces a particularly cruel trap: excluded from VDP recruitment in many areas, they are targeted both by jihadist groups who punish them for perceived collaboration with security forces, and by VDP members who view them with suspicion.

The VDP’s presence in communities has also triggered jihadist reprisals against civilians, creating a spiral of violence. Between early 2020 and summer 2021, at least 200 VDP members were killed in attacks. The devastating September 2022 ambush near Gaskinde, which killed numerous VDP members, military personnel, and civilians, became a catalyst for the coup that brought Captain Traoré to power.

Recognition and Ongoing Challenges

In November 2025, President Traoré instituted a new “Medal of Honor for Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland” to recognize VDP bravery and sacrifice. The medal’s center features the image of Ladji Yoro, described as an “intrepid volunteer” who became a symbol of courage and supreme sacrifice in the fight against terrorism. Recipients of the medal with the “bravery” clasp receive a 10% increase in their operational allowance.

Despite such recognition, the VDP faces fundamental challenges. Poorly paid and minimally trained, volunteers are thrust into combat against experienced jihadist fighters. Reports indicate that regime critics have been forcibly recruited into the VDP, raising concerns about the voluntary nature of the force.

A Contested Path Forward

The VDP represents a pragmatic response to Burkina Faso’s security crisis, addressing critical manpower shortages and harnessing local knowledge and patriotic sentiment to defend the nation. The volunteers’ sacrifices and contributions have been substantial, with hundreds killed in action while defending their communities and supporting military operations.

International organizations, including the International Crisis Group, have recommended that Burkinabè authorities slow VDP recruitment, improve oversight and accountability, and better utilize available regular armed forces. The challenge lies in balancing the need for territorial defense with the imperative to protect civilian populations and maintain the rule of law.

As Burkina Faso continues its struggle against jihadist insurgency, the VDP remains a central element of the national strategy—a force that embodies the courage of ordinary citizens defending their homeland alongside professional military forces. Their local knowledge, numerical strength, and commitment to protecting their communities have made them an essential component of Burkina Faso’s defense architecture, even as questions about training, oversight, and operational conduct continue to require attention.