Soldiers killed in jihadist attack in Burkina Faso
Abidjan – An attack claimed by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists killed at least a dozen soldiers in northern Burkina Faso at the weekend, security and local sources told AFP on Tuesday. The junta-ruled west African country has been plagued by violence from militants allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group for more than a decade.
Across parts of sub-Saharan Africa today, jihadist movements are conducting campaigns of violence that they themselves describe in religious terms.
They invoke Islamic fundamentalism.
They openly frame Christian communities as religious adversaries.
This is not random criminality. It is ideological warfare.
Burkina Faso is currently experiencing an ongoing jihadist insurgency that began in 2015, primarily involving groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. This conflict has resulted in significant violence, with over 20,000 deaths and millions displaced, as jihadist groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have gained control over large areas of the country. (BBC)
In 1885, General Charles Gordon stood in Khartoum facing an army led by a man who claimed divine authority. The Mahdi did not present himself as a political reformer. He proclaimed a religious mandate. His followers believed they were waging holy war. When Khartoum fell, thousands were slaughtered.
London debated while fanaticism did its work. The pattern is not ancient history.
Across parts of sub-Saharan Africa today, jihadist movements are conducting campaigns of violence that they themselves describe in religious terms. They declare jihad. They invoke Islamic fundamentalism. They openly frame Christian communities as religious adversaries.
And they kill accordingly.
Article | https://www.spectator.com.au/…/the-silent-war-in-africa/
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