Burkina Faso

On 30 April 2025, Burkina Faso requested an Article 5 deadline extension request for the first time, seeking a new deadline of 31 December 2028. This followed its initial disclosure in June 2023, during the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) intersessional meetings, where it informed States Parties of a new explosive threat involving the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by non-State armed groups (NSAGs), including improvised anti-personnel (AP) mines. The nature and scope of this threat were further detailed in Burkina Faso’s Article 7 report, submitted in 2024 and covering 2022 and 2023.

The extension request is intended to give Burkina Faso the time needed to conduct the necessary surveys to generate a clearer understanding of the extent of improvised AP mined area. During this period, Burkina Faso plans to carry out an initial contamination analysis, establish an information management (IM) system, conduct non-technical survey (NTS), and perform explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) spot tasks. While the extension request indicates that international NGOs play a limited role in the mine action sector—focused on capacity-building and risk education—Burkina Faso is open to allowing demining organisations to conduct NTS, and possibly clearance, in areas where security conditions have improved. The extension request was due to be considered at the Twenty-Second Meeting of States Parties.

• Burkina Faso should aim to establish, by the end of the extended deadline, a baseline contamination estimate including both the number and size (in square metres) of suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) and confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs).

• Burkina Faso should ensure its data collection system accurately records the nature of the contamination involved in incidents. An improvised anti-vehicle (AV) mine sensitive enough to be detonated by a person should be recorded as an improvised AP mine.

• When circumstances permit, Burkina Faso should develop a civilian mine clearance capacity in addition to its military counter-IED capabilities, seeking international assistance as required.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2025" report for Burkina Faso