Sahel region vulnerable to fierce jihadusts attacks
Jihadists have intensified their offensives in the Sahel region in recent weeks, carrying out bloody raids in Mali, incursions into major cities in Burkina Faso and inflicting heavy army losses in Niger.
The three Sahel states’ military juntas, who had pledged during the coups that brought them to power to make security a priority, are struggling to contain the advance of jihadists, who are threatening more than ever neighbouring countries on the west African coast.
Several hundred soldiers have been killed in various attacks claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in Mali and Burkina Faso, and the Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) group in Niger.
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Military violence targeting civilians — particularly the Fulani, often singled out in the Sahel region and accused of feeding the jihadists’ ranks — “has exacerbated grievances and played into jihadist narratives, driving JNIM’s expansion”, said the Soufan Center think tank in a brief.
It also highlighted “a broader strategy to degrade public confidence in state forces, boost recruitment”… [The juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger] rarely communicate about jihadist attacks, insisting they are reclaiming large portions of territory…
“These governments live in isolation and also face financial issues, such as paying soldiers. There is reason to question their capacity to resist in the long run,” [Lassina Diarra of the International Counter-Terrorism Academy in Jacqueville, Ivory Coast] said.
Source: AFP
