Ministry of Defence announced from social media accounts that Military Factory and Shipyard Management Inc. (ASFAT) would export four Mechanical Mine-Clearing Equipment (MEMATT) to Burkina Faso. This sale will be the first export success of ASFAT to West Africa. ASFAT has previously exported the same vehicles to Azerbaijan.
Burkina Faso’s armed forces possess only inactive mines for military training purposes. However, there is increasing tension within the country. While instability grows, France plans to reduce its military presence.The minesweepers will be both less time-consuming and safer in mine-clearing operations.
According to UNMAS, which is deployed to Burkina Faso in 2019 as part of the UN Secretary General’s Emergency Task Force for Burkina Faso, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are growing. UNMAS is a UN organisation that aims to provide national institutions and affected populations the knowledge, tools, and capacity to reduce the threat posed by explosive ordnance in high-risk areas. According to the organisation, 382 people have been killed or injured in explosive ordnance accidents, almost all of which were caused by IEDs (98 per cent) since 2017.
