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Terrorists belonging to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a deadly group affiliated with Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for multiple deadly attacks that have struck Burkina Faso in recent days.
In February, a United Nations Security Council report noted that the “pace of JNIM attacks” had slowed in September, but AFP reports that the attacks have not halted and the Al-Qaeda affiliated group has launched a string of large-scale assaults in the northern and eastern regions of the West African country since mid-February. The attacks have led to the deaths of dozens of people, including civilians.
“Since February 14, JNIM has claimed responsibility for 10 attacks across different regions of Burkina Faso,” said Hasret Kargin, an Africa studies researcher at intelligence firm Mintel World.
JNIM says it killed dozens of soldiers when it attacked Titao’s military base in the northwest on February 15. A separate ambush on February 15 left around 50 forestry officers dead in Tandjari in the east. No fewer than 10 civilians, including Ghanaian traders, were killed in the Titao attack.Â
“This latest round demonstrated a high degree of coordination, given the number of large-scale attacks that occurred between 12 and 22 February,” Nsaibia said.
According to Kargin, JNIM terrorists often strike “right before and during” the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He added that current dry-season conditions had helped them on the ground.
Kargin explained that the northern region of Burkina Faso serves as a bridge to JNIM’s main central command in Mali, while the east — home to a vast nature reserve straddling Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso — allows the deadly group to push into neighbouring countries. According to Kargin, these forests shield the insurgents from airstrikes and generate income through illegal timber sales and control of artisanal gold mining.
