Burkina Faso's parliament has approved legislation allowing the military to use civilian volunteers in the fight against Islamic extremism, a decision that underscores how outnumbered soldiers are amid rising attacks across the West African country.
The tactic is not without risk. Burkina Faso's military has been criticised for killings carried out during its crackdown on extremism, and placing arms in the hands of minimally trained civilians could lead to more allegations of human rights abuses, observers warn.
Defense Minister Cheriff Sy said this week that all recruits would undergo two weeks of training, with topics ranging from how to use weapons to matters of discipline.
"It is not a question of making cannon fodder," he said.
"We want to prevent these volunteers from becoming militias."