Where Is War

Is there a war in Burkina Faso?

Yes. UCDP lists 4 active armed conflicts with fighting recorded in Burkina Faso.

1 of them at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: Burkina Faso: Government, 2,939 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in Burkina Faso in 2025

3,031in state-based fighting
142in fighting between armed groups
1,268in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in Burkina Faso (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflicts

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

War levelState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1987

Burkina Faso: Government

2,939deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
1,781deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
12,290total 2018–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (8 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM

1989: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1990: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1991: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1992: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1993: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1994: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1995: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1996: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1997: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1998: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)1999: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2000: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2001: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2002: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2003: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2004: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2005: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2006: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2007: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2008: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2009: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2010: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2011: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2012: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2013: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2014: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2015: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2016: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2017: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2018: 792019: 2712020: 3522021: 8212022: 1,7032023: 3,9892024: 2,1362025: 2,9392026: 1,781 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
1989highest: 3,9892026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Burkina Faso). Also recorded in: Ghana.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary1,781
20252,939
20242,136
20233,989
20221,703
2021821
2020352
2019271
201879

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Burkina Faso · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2019

IS - JNIM

154deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1
70deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
1,538total 2020–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (6 years listed)

Who is fighting: IS vs JNIM

2019: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2020: 3812021: 1222022: 4052023: 4362024: 402025: 1542026: 70 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2019highest: 4362026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Burkina Faso). Also recorded in: Mali, Nigeria, Niger.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary70
2025154
202440
2023436
2022405
2021122
2020381

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Burkina Faso · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 2020

Benin: Government

149deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
35deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
284total 2022–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (4 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Benin vs JNIM

2020: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2021: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2022: 302023: 282024: 772025: 1492026: 35 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2020highest: 1492026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: July 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Burkina Faso). Also recorded in: Benin.

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary35
2025149
202477
202328
202230

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Benin · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 2017

Burkina Faso: Islamic State

92deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)
34deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09
1,782total 2019–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (7 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Burkina Faso vs IS

2017: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2018: not in the dataset (below 25 deaths or no data)2019: 782020: 1602021: 1702022: 4022023: 8172024: 632025: 922026: 34 (Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary)
2017highest: 8172026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: August 2026

Figures by year
YearDeaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary34
202592
202463
2023817
2022402
2021170
2020160
201978

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Burkina Faso · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Military personnel

11,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in Burkina Faso

United States14

assigned · 31 Aug 2026 · DoD DMDC

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

AngolaBeninBurundiCameroonCentral African RepublicChadDR CongoEthiopiaGhanaKenyaMaliMozambiqueNigerNigeriaRwandaSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSudanTogo

All countries →

Sources and licences