TERRORISMGermany Confronts Extremism in Sahel Region
On her visit to Burkina Faso, German Development Minister Svenja Schulze wants to show a willingness to speak with the ruling military junta. In Benin, she’ll support Germany’s efforts to boost trust in state structures.
Adama Sawadogo, who lives in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, will probably never forget the last weekend in February.
“The situation is not easy. Over the weekend, there were attacks all over the country and they happened at the same time. Both churches and mosques were targeted,” said Sawadogo, who volunteers to help displaced people in his country.
According to the Catholic diocese of Dori, 15 people were killed that weekend during Sunday Mass in the village of Essakane in northeastern Burkina Faso. The Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina Faso reported that 14 worshippers, including an imam, were killed in a mosque in the eastern town of Natiaboani.
The attacks are the worst in some time in the Sahel country of 22 million inhabitants, where terrorist acts have been spreading since 2016.
Burkina Faso will be the first of two stops on a trip to region by German Federal Development Minister Svenja Schulze on Monday. Germany currently chairs the Sahel Alliance, a key development body. According to a spokesperson for the Development Ministry, the alliance is currently investing around €28 billion ($30 billion) in the region.
“Germany and Europe are interested in good and neighborly relations with the countries of West Africa. This can only be achieved with commitment and respectful, pragmatic policies. This starts with seeing the problems and taking them seriously,” the spokesperson told DW.
Terrorism, ECOWAS Exit on the Agenda
The consequences of terrorism are plainly visible in Burkina Faso. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, around 2 million people were displaced in March 2023.
Data compiled by the World Bank showed more than 40% of the population living below the poverty line in 2020, and UNICEF figures show almost 3.4 million people no longer have access to health care.
Sawadogo said the latest attacks had one goal: the terrorists “came to show us that they are strong.”
“But in the end, they are only weak,” he told DW.
Indeed, as the security situation improves due to the intervention of army, some displaced people have been returning to their villages. “We know that all those who are defending us are brave. We are sure that terrorism will stop in Burkina Faso,” said Sawadogo.
Burkina Faso has been under military rule following two coups in 2022, with Captain Ibrahim Traore at the helm.
In late January, the country joined Mali and Niger in announcing its decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an issue that’s expected to be on the agenda during Schulze’s visit.
