79 Reportedly Killed in Latest Burkina Faso Jihadist Attack

Facts

• On Tues., the government of Burkina Faso reported that 79 bodies have been recovered so far following a weekend attack by suspected Islamist militants on the village of Seytenga in the northern province of Seno.¹
• The supposed act of revenge followed the killing of 11 gendarmes in the same area on Thurs., which led to a military operation in which the army reported that 40 jihadists were killed.²
• The latest attack is the bloodiest in the landlocked West African nation since the military ousted elected Pres. Roch Marc Christian Kabore in Jan., blaming him for the surge in jihadist attacks.¹
• However, shortly after the coup led by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, attacks resumed, claiming hundreds of lives in recent months in one of the world's poorest countries.³
• Since insurgents launched attacks from neighboring Mali in 2015, Islamist raids in Burkina Faso have killed thousands and displaced around 2M people.⁴
• Due to the worsening security situation, extreme poverty, and soaring food prices, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad are all expected to face a severe food crisis.⁵

Sources: ¹France24 (a), ²Al Jazeera, ³CGTN Africa, ⁴France24 (b) and ⁵The Herald.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Wall Street Journal. The Islamist threat continues to destabilize the Sahel. For years, however, Washington has warned that jihadists are also targeting West Africa. Various coups in recent years have hampered the efforts of European states such as France, but also the US, to get the situation under control by militarily supporting local governments. The coup in Burkina Faso is just one of the latest sad examples.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. The deteriorating security crisis in West Africa is primarily the result of the West's decade-long political and military interference under the guise of fighting terrorism. And it's no coincidence that anti-European and especially anti-French sentiment is on the rise. There is hope for the region only when it's no longer possible for the West to pursue its geopolitical interests unchallenged by pretending to 'help.'