Guest
What started as a jihadist movement in the far north of Mali gradually made its way down the sahel, infiltrating large areas of Mali and eventually invaded Burkina Faso and Niger. Despite the arrival of Western military bases in the countries, the insurgencies have continued to expand. Today reports say there are over 20 insurgents groups mostly islamic jihadist in the Sahel from the north of Mali to Sudan, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina faso. In this interview Ibrahim Traore tells a reporter on the field about how the Burkina Faso military was refused assistance and approvals to acquire important weapons needed to fight a rapidly increasing insurgents in the region. But after more than 10 years of being terrorised, Burkina Faso Now has the opportunity to acquire arms for its military. The stakes are high. Failure to stop the insurgents threatens to erase more than 20 years of development in the region, while Ibrahim's success will be a victory for west Africa and Africa as a whole. The challenges posed by terrorism have highlighted existing weaknesses in governance, including corruption, lack of state presence in remote areas, and limited resources for security forces. The security situation has forced a significant number of people to flee their homes, either internally or across borders. This displacement has strained resources and led to a growing humanitarian crisis, including food shortages, lack of healthcare, and education disruptions. The ongoing conflict has disrupted economic activities, particularly in border regions, affecting trade and livelihoods. Tourism, an important sector for Burkina Faso, has suffered due to security concerns.
