Burkinabe junta leader and president of the Alliance of Sahel States Ibrahim Traore condemned coordinated large-scale attacks by al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and the Azawad Liberation Front rebels in neighboring Mali, BBC reported on April 26. Traore alleged that the attackers had external backing from "enemies of the Sahel liberation struggle," and the comments came a day after Burkina Faso's junta announced the establishment of a 100,000-strong military reserve force as part of a broader effort to push back jihadist groups.

The Burkinabe reserve will be structured into two tiers: one composed of former or experienced military personnel for rapid mobilization, and another made up of civilians to be progressively trained and deployed. Authorities say the initiative is designed to complement existing forces, including the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland.