An 18-year-old former fighter of the terrorist group Nusra has delivered a powerful warning to young people in Burkina Faso, urging them not to fall prey to extremist recruitment tactics.
His testimony, shared on Sunday, July 6, 2025, has been reported by the Burkina Faso Information Agency (AIB).
“My name is Daouda. I’m 18 years old.
I was recruited into terrorism. Today, I want to warn my brothers not to fall into the same trap,” he declared, recounting his experience inside terrorist ranks.
According to Daouda, militant groups often manipulate newly recruited youths, sending them back to their villages to lure others into joining.
Promises of money, motorcycles, military training, or even women are used to entice unsuspecting recruits.
But the truth, he says, is far from those promises. “Once inside the bases, you find only suffering and disillusionment.
When the terrorists fail to steal or loot, each member is forced to sell their own belongings to finance the group’s activities,” he explained.
Daouda, who escaped through a military operation led by the Defense and Security Forces (FDS), revealed he never received any of the rewards he was promised.
“I quickly realized that I was living in hell. It was the operations of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) that allowed me to escape,” he said.
He is now calling on Burkina Faso’s youth to remain vigilant. “Stay with your families. Be vigilant. Don’t be fooled, and above all, denounce those who try to recruit you.”
Burkina Faso’s FDS, with support from the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), continues to carry out operations to reclaim territory from armed groups.
Authorities have consistently called on insurgents to surrender or face “certain elimination and become a meal for scavengers.”
Amid growing military pressure in remote bush and forest regions, a rising number of militants are choosing to lay down their arms and heed the call of peace.
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