Burkina Faso Recruits Thousands of Civilians to Help Fight Jihadists

Burkina Faso’s military rulers have launched a drive to recruit tens of thousands of civilian volunteers to help fight Islamist extremists.

The commander of the force, called volunteers for the defence of the Fatherland, said the aim was to enlist 35,000 new members.

Candidates will receive two weeks of military training before taking part in operations across the country, which has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2015.

There have been two military coups in Burkina Faso this year with the leaders of both promising to end the violence.