Militants Are Edging South Toward West Africa’s Most Stable and Prosperous States
Wall Street JournalMar 02, 2022
At least 34 people were killed over the weekend by suspected Islamist militants in several attacks on villages in northern Burkina Faso, one of the world's poorest countries.
Government officials said Mon., that "armed men" killed 22 people late Sun. in Bourasso in the northwestern province of Kossi after the killing of 12 people during a raid on Sat. in Namissiguima in the northern province of Yatenga.
For years, Washington has warned that jihadists are targeting West Africa while they continue to destabilize the Sahel. Various coups in recent years have hampered the efforts of Western powers, mostly France and 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.
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 sentiments are 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."