Burkina Faso’s security situation continues to deteriorate as jihadist extremists launch attacks on civilian population and government forces. Although overshadowed by expanding conflicts in the neighbouring countries, the rampage against hundreds of unarmed civilians in Barsalogho by terrorist militias should put the spotlight on the current threat in Ouagadougou.

Al-Qaeda managed to unite four different groups of different ethnic backgrounds and regional interests into a single coalition of extremist fighters. The Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) is composed of militants from the Tuareg and Fulani tribesmen from the Sahel and Maghreb, as well as ethnic Arabs from Burkina Faso.

These groups are responsible for over three-quarters of the violent events and associated fatalities recorded in Burkina Faso over the last years (2019-2024). Besides the terrorist incidents, the militant organization also tapped the local economies of criminal networks. JNIM also engages in forced displacement and village sieges.