Imposition of sanctions on West African nation could embolden Islamist groups looking to expand in the Sahel
A man holds a national flag as people gather in support of a coup that ousted president Roch Kabore, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, January 25 2022. Picture: VINCENT BADO/REUTERS
Ecowas now has to decide whether to impose sanctions on Burkina Faso, as it did on Mali and Guinea after coups there last year. The US signalled it may withdraw aid to the country, one of the world’s poorest despite being Africa’s fourth-biggest gold producer. A larger concern for Burkina Faso’s southern neighbours is security, with Islamists who’ve been waging an insurgency in the Sahel region since they seized part of northern Mali in early 2012 looking to expand their reach.
The violence spread to coastal states in recent months. Benin reported last month that two of its soldiers were killed and several injured in an attack on a base in the north of the country, with Al-Qaeda claiming responsibility. Ivory Coast, the world’s biggest cocoa grower, has reported an increase in insurgent activity.
The French deployment has become increasingly unpopular in the region for failing to quell the insurgency, and Macron announced plans last year to reduce the number of forces. The proposed withdrawal led Malian Prime Minister Choguel Maiga in September to accuse France of abandoning his country and signal that the junta would look elsewhere for help to combat the insurgency.
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