Situating soldiers’ demands: Mutinies and protests in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso in 2011, military mutinies followed widespread civilian protests, indicating a crisis of confidence for President Compaoré. Through an in-depth look at the events, this research encourages an understanding of military revolts that extends beyond the military. Although the mutineers never united with the demonstrators, their grievances mirrored those of the civilians. The article puts the revolts into a historic context and shows a pattern of interconnectedness between military revolts and civilian demonstrations in Burkina Faso. The work draws on interviews conducted with military personnel and civilians involved in the widespread protests.