The bill, which was overwhelmingly approved by the interim parliament on Friday, will be in effect until October 29.
According to Justice Minister Bibata Nebie Ouedraogo, it “aims to strengthen and consolidate the fight against insecurity and to provide more opportunities and resources” to security forces.
In March, the government declared a state of emergency in districts most impacted by terrorist assaults.
The state of emergency allows security authorities to search residences at any time of day or night, and it limits several fundamental liberties such as freedom of movement and assembly.
Burkina Faso’s military junta similarly proclaimed a “general mobilization” in mid-April to battle a succession of brutal attacks blamed on Islamists.
Burkina Faso, which saw two military coups in 2022, is fighting a jihadist insurgency that crossed the border from Mali in 2015.
Captain Ibrahim Traore, the transitional president of Burkina Faso who conducted the most recent coup on September 30, has set a target of recapturing 40% of the country’s territory, which is occupied by Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization.
According to non-governmental organizations, the conflict has killed over 10,000 people – both civilians and military – and displaced over two million people.
