Burkina Faso: The Forgotten Epicenter of the Sahel Crisis

While Mali continues to attract international attention with the coordinated offensives of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and the fuel blockade imposed on Bamako, an even more serious crisis is unfolding in the neighboring country. Burkina Faso has become, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index, the country most affected by terrorism in the world, a fact that remains largely unknown due to a closed informational environment and systematic repression of dissent under the regime of Ibrahim Traoré.

The last two weeks of February 2026 perfectly illustrate the intensity and complexity of the security situation in the Sahel region. Between February 6 and 24, the security forces of the three countries of the Sahel States Alliance conducted dozens of operations against jihadist groups, while also suffering heavy losses themselves. On February 9, the Malian army announced it had neutralized 35 JNIM militants during surveillance and strike operations conducted in the Ségou region, near the Niger River. These operations illustrate the continuity of Malian military efforts, despite the withdrawal of French forces and the increased presence of the Russian African Corps.

But it is in Burkina Faso that the situation is most concerning. JNIM claims to have killed at least 50 Burkinabè soldiers during the attack on Tandjari, north of Fada Ngourma, in the east of the country. The group also took control of a Burkinabè military base in Barga, in the Lorum province, and accuses government forces of executing 30 civilians in the Dédougou region. On February 24, Burkinabè forces retaliated by eliminating 29 presumed fighters during a joint operation of the air force and ground forces. These figures, although impressive, tell only part of the story.

The Global Terrorism Index 2025 designated Burkina Faso as the country most affected by terrorism, with a quarter of all global extremist attacks occurring on its territory. Nine of the twenty deadliest attacks in the world in 2024 took place in Burkina Faso. Since Ibrahim Traoré's coup in 2022, extremists are reported to have killed 87 percent more civilians than in the previous three years, while government-aligned forces are said to have killed up to 132 percent more civilians. Extremist groups are now operating with relative freedom over up to 80 percent of the national territory, although Ouagadougou disputes this figure.

What makes the situation even more alarming is the closed informational environment created by the Traoré regime. Under the pretext of strengthening military cohesion, the president has systematically sidelined potential rivals and intimidated critical journalists. At the end of January 2026, his regime announced a ban on all political parties, arguing that they "fostered division." But this repression of dissent is not new. In April 2023, Traoré issued a decree granting him broad powers to requisition individuals and suspend civil liberties. Since then, several activists and journalists have disappeared, only to reappear in videos on social media dressed in military uniforms. "When you disagree with the president, you have the choice between exile, prison, or the front lines, and thus death," a journalist stated in 2025.

The situation in Niger is hardly better. On February 9, Islamic State terrorists attacked the Nigerien customs office in the town of Kouré, less than 50 kilometers southeast of Niamey, killing two customs agents and leaving two others missing. On February 13, a mixed transport vehicle exploded on an improvised explosive device in the Diffa region, killing at least eight people instantly. On the same day, militants from the Patriotic Movement for Freedom and Justice targeted the Dibella oil site in an armed attack, killing 24 soldiers from the Defense and Security Forces.

A particularly significant development has been the defection of JNIM commander Saa'd to the Islamic State's Sahel province. Saa'd was in charge of an area in eastern Burkina Faso and joined the Islamic State with a number of his men. This defection illustrates the growing divisions within the Sahelian jihadist movement and could herald a major reconfiguration of alliances. Clashes between JNIM and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara have intensified, with the Islamic State eliminating 18 JNIM fighters during clashes in Djika and Bilehout, in northwestern Burkina Faso, on February 13.

In Mali, attacks continue despite counter-terrorism operations. On February 16, the gendarmerie in Kalana, in the Bougouni region, was targeted in an armed attack when unidentified armed men opened fire on the brigade. On February 13, a suicide bomber belonging to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara targeted Malian forces in a car bomb attack between Ménaka and Ansongo, in eastern Mali. JNIM claimed to have ambushed a Malian army patrol in the town of Niono, in the Ségou region.

Niger has also been shaken by record drug seizures. The Departmental Directorate of the National Police made a spectacular seizure of 800,000 ecstasy tablets worth 8 billion CFA francs in Illéla, in the Tahoua region, a first in the country. Nigerien authorities also seized 1,652 kg of cocaine valued at an estimated 55 million CFA francs in Tchintabaraden and arrested two foreign nationals.

The intensification of military operations is accompanied by a growing Russian presence in the region. Operations of the Russian African Corps have resumed following the failure of the agreement between the population and JNIM, with three JNIM militants already killed in the Boni region. The presence of the African Corps, alongside the Malian Armed Forces and ASM militias, has been evident during demining operations between Ménaka and Ansongo, during which several improvised explosive devices are reported to have exploded.

The combination of internal repression, online disinformation, and increasing insecurity in Burkina Faso represents a major threat to regional stability. The online discourse, largely composed of AI-generated videos and propaganda content, portrays Traoré as a capable and decisive leader, ready to defend his people against violent extremism and predatory neocolonialism. This distortion of reality, combined with Traoré's tight control over the country's security apparatus, is dangerous. Available statistics indicate an escalating conflict, characterized by extremist violence, government abuses, and severe humanitarian needs.

Insecurity that cannot be tracked cannot be effectively managed. If this trend continues, the United States and its regional partners may ultimately lose the ability to anticipate threats, direct resources, and respond to a crisis that is already spilling over international borders. The Sahel requires renewed attention, not only on Mali but especially on Burkina Faso, the forgotten epicenter of this complex and multidimensional crisis.