Why Burkina Faso is a new jihadi scene

For decades, Mali has been a hub of jihadi groups, culminating with the establishment of an al-Qaeda emirate in the northern part of the country in 2012. In contrast, neighboring Burkina Faso did not have any significant experience with terrorism. At least not until recently. Since 2016, Burkina Faso has become the target of a series of terrorist attacks, perpetrated by al-Qaeda- and Islamic State-groups. But why? What happened?

In the new DIIS-book, Expanding Jihad, senior researcher Manni Crone explores how jihadi groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State travel into new areas. The recent expansion into Burkina can both be seen as a spill-over effect of the vibrant jihadi scene in neighbouring Mali and as a reaction to the foreign intervention in this country.

However, local factors in Burkina Faso also play a role. One important factor is the regime-change in 2014 that lead to a break-down of existing security structures in the North. Another important factor is the change in the regional role of Burkina Faso, who has gone from being a regional broker negotiating with militant groups, to being a member of the G5 Sahel antiterrorist-coalition, closely cooperating with the French antiterrorist-force, Barkhane.