Civilian forces and counterterrorism nexus in Africa: A human rights and security dilemma in Burkina Faso

We examine the intricate tradeoffs between human rights protections and security imperatives in Burkina Faso’s counterterrorism strategy, with a focus on the deployment of the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDPs). The research was guided by securitization theory and employed a qualitative design involving 50 participants from affected communities and security stakeholders. The study answered two key questions. First, how does deploying civilian forces in Burkina Faso’s counterterrorism strategy influence the balance between human rights protections and security imperatives? Second, what do these dynamics reveal about the legal, ethical, and practical gaps in their deployment? The data were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s structured approach. Findings reveal that, although VDPs were intended to support overstretched state forces, their operations have led to human rights violations, including ethnic profiling and extrajudicial actions. We argue that, these outcomes are rooted in legal ambiguity, weak accountability mechanisms, and operational inefficiencies, reflecting broader governance failures rather than isolated misconduct. We emphasize the urgency of strengthening legal frameworks, extending training duration, and establishing independent oversight bodies to realign VDP operations with human rights standards. The study contributes to a growing body of evidence challenging overly militarized approaches to counterterrorism in fragile contexts. The paper contributes to SDG 16 by analysing the human rights and security implications of civilian participation in counterterrorism in Burkina Fas.