Nahouri: The national gendarmerie officially took over from the national police on Friday, September 11, 2026, in securing the rural commune of Pila. At the ceremony, the outgoing police commissioner, Lieutenant Aristide Bationo, praised the commitment of his colleagues and the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP) during the two years spent in Pila.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Lieutenant Bationo emphasized the resilience of the people of Pila despite the challenges faced by the community. He urged the incoming security officials to strengthen ties with the local population, stressing that close collaboration with communities is necessary to gather information to prevent and anticipate threats.

The PDS (Democratic Party of Pila) Boureima Taram expressed gratitude to the police officers for the services rendered to the community during their tenure. He clarified that the departure of the officers does not mean an end to their duties, as they will be redeployed to other posts in line with the new distribution of responsibilities among the security forces.

This territorial reorganization follows decree no. 2024-1102/PRES/PM issued on December 29, 2024, which outlines the reorganization of the territorial powers of the security forces. The new security coverage strategy assigns the national gendarmerie the responsibility of ensuring security in rural municipalities, while the national police focuses on urban centers and rural municipalities with special status.

In Pila, the security responsibilities are now managed by the territorial gendarmerie brigade under the command of Chief Warrant Officer Mohamed Sanfo. The gendarmerie's goal is to enhance local security, intelligence, and collaboration with the population and local stakeholders.

The handover ceremony was attended by officials from the police, the gendarmerie, and the VDP, along with various administrative, military, paramilitary, customary, and religious authorities, and heads of services.