Sectarian fighting deepens political and security collapse in Burkina Faso

Nahla Abdel Moneim

In light of the spread of terrorism in West Africa’s Burkina Faso, sectarian and ethnic conflicts are growing as a result of the weakness of the state apparatus in sparing civilians the risk of violent attacks. There is growing talk about an increase in armed fronts of volunteers to confront the Islamist militias in an internal conflict threatening a further deterioration of the security and political situation.

The Koglweogo group was formed in the country as a movement to resist the spread of terrorism, but turned into an anti-violence group after the spread of unrest and the escalation of activity by Islamist movements supported by al-Qaeda and ISIS, as well as the crumbling borders with neighboring countries that suffer from the same crises, such as Mali, Niger and others, which has made the country a hotspot.

Factors for the infighting

The country suffers from a difficult geographical situation that made it surrounded by collapsing states. The situation was exacerbated by the fall of the government in Mali due to a military coup and the interference of foreign forces supporting extremist militias, most notably Turkey, which has multiplied terrorism in the region and cast a shadow over the situation in Burkina Faso.

Regarding the political situation, the country is exposed to strong vibrations and the absence of a powerful ruling authority that can tighten control in light of the proliferation of weapons, ammunition and mercenaries, as well as the division of terrorist currents into several streams. The situation is no longer limited to international terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, as domestic groups have turned into militias to defend civilians but could transform into armed militias.

Internal rivalry transformations

According to a research paper issued by the US-based Jamestown Foundation, the Koglweogo group, which is recognized by the government and receives donations to fulfill its tasks of maintaining security and assisting the authorities, has turned into a violent front to take revenge on the Fulani ethnic group, which is mainly Muslim.

The study noted that this internal strife will aggravate the security and political conditions and impede the possibility of resolving them in the short term, because this type of fighting creates popular enmity and racial and ethnic hatred that needs years to be addressed.

Ali Bakr, a researcher on extremist movements, told the Reference that the decline in the efforts and security capabilities of the responsible authorities in the country affects the spread of terrorist groups and the growth of internal fighting, which in turn leads to the deployment and transfer of weapons and ammunition in the region.

Talk about the deteriorating security situation and internal fighting brings the possibility of defense groups like Koglweogo turning into a mercenary movement to defend political goals of any of the major powers active in the region, as indicated by Joanna Ilboudo, General Secretary of ACTS Burkina, a Christian non-profit, in her interview with a Burkini website. She expressed her fear that civil fighting groups would turn into political groups, noting the increase in violence against Christians, including attacks on churches and the displacement of many citizens, as well as violent groups threatening everyone in the country.