2019/18/02 – Islamist militants are increasing their activity in West Africa despite the establishment of a regional force to combat them in the Sahel region, and they are now threatening coastal countries, Burkina Faso’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Minister Alpha Barry gave a bleak outlook of the situation more than six years after French troops intervened in Mali to stop Islamist militants advancing on the capital Bamako.
The Sahel region has since suffered violence from militant groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, trafficking and the emergence of armed groups in one of the world’s poorest regions.
Reuters
Sahel-Elite|Photo (illustration): Minister Alpha Barry
Sahel-Elite (Bamako-Mali) 