A coup in Burkina Faso will help the Sahel’s jihadists
Military rule will exacerbate the problems that have allowed extremism to thrive
MOST COUPS begin with confusion. In Burkina Faso the first sign was gunfire echoing from army bases in Ouagadougou, the capital, on January 23rd. Mutinous soldiers soon emerged, demanding the resignation of the top brass and better equipment for their fight against jihadists terrorising the Sahel. By daybreak bullet-riddled presidential vehicles were visible in the streets and soldiers surrounded the main television station.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The juntas and the hunted”
From the January 29th 2022 edition
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