The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso
The article examines the reasons for the increasing terrorist activity in Burkina Faso after the revolution in 2014. For decades, the Sahel has been one of the most unstable regions in Africa and the Afrasian zone of instability. However, in the 2010s the Sahel has experienced a dramatic increase in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Vestnik RUDN. International Relations |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/viewFile/31416/20885 |
| _version_ | 1797934600245215232 |
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| author | Leonid M. Issaev Andrey V. Korotayev Daria A. Bobarykina |
| author_facet | Leonid M. Issaev Andrey V. Korotayev Daria A. Bobarykina |
| author_sort | Leonid M. Issaev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article examines the reasons for the increasing terrorist activity in Burkina Faso after the revolution in 2014. For decades, the Sahel has been one of the most unstable regions in Africa and the Afrasian zone of instability. However, in the 2010s the Sahel has experienced a dramatic increase in terrorist activity: by 2015, the number of terrorist attacks there increased more than seven times compared to 2010. At the same time, the dynamics of terrorist activity in Burkina Faso had its specific characteristics compared to the rest of the Sahel. The growth of terrorism in this country was largely a consequence of the overthrow of the B. Compaoré regime. The new authorities were unable to maintain security at the same level. This can be explained, on the one hand, by the stable agreements that had been settled between Compaoré and terrorist structures. His resignation destroyed all the informal ties and agreements that the regime had established with regional jihadist organizations, freeing their hands to infiltrate Burkina Faso quickly and easily. On the other hand, the dissolution of the Regiment of Presidential Security (precisely the structure largely responsible for the fight against terrorism) after the failed military coup attempt of September 2015 played an important role. The new leadership stripped the country of the protection they had against jihadist organizations poised to infiltrate across the border into Burkina Faso. As a result, after 2015, a very safe country in terms of terrorism faced an unprecedented increase in terrorist activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T18:02:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f0afe2bba5942d1a4742047cc62b6cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2313-0660 2313-0679 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T18:02:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vestnik RUDN. International Relations |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f0afe2bba5942d1a4742047cc62b6cc2023-02-02T14:58:33ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)Vestnik RUDN. International Relations2313-06602313-06792022-07-0122241142110.22363/2313-0660-2022-22-2-411-42120853The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina FasoLeonid M. Issaev0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4748-1078Andrey V. Korotayev1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3014-2037Daria A. Bobarykina2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7722-1931HSE UniversityHSE UniversitySaint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences and Area Studies under HSE UniversityThe article examines the reasons for the increasing terrorist activity in Burkina Faso after the revolution in 2014. For decades, the Sahel has been one of the most unstable regions in Africa and the Afrasian zone of instability. However, in the 2010s the Sahel has experienced a dramatic increase in terrorist activity: by 2015, the number of terrorist attacks there increased more than seven times compared to 2010. At the same time, the dynamics of terrorist activity in Burkina Faso had its specific characteristics compared to the rest of the Sahel. The growth of terrorism in this country was largely a consequence of the overthrow of the B. Compaoré regime. The new authorities were unable to maintain security at the same level. This can be explained, on the one hand, by the stable agreements that had been settled between Compaoré and terrorist structures. His resignation destroyed all the informal ties and agreements that the regime had established with regional jihadist organizations, freeing their hands to infiltrate Burkina Faso quickly and easily. On the other hand, the dissolution of the Regiment of Presidential Security (precisely the structure largely responsible for the fight against terrorism) after the failed military coup attempt of September 2015 played an important role. The new leadership stripped the country of the protection they had against jihadist organizations poised to infiltrate across the border into Burkina Faso. As a result, after 2015, a very safe country in terms of terrorism faced an unprecedented increase in terrorist activity.https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/viewFile/31416/20885black springburkina-fasosahelterrorisminstability |
| spellingShingle | Leonid M. Issaev Andrey V. Korotayev Daria A. Bobarykina The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso Vestnik RUDN. International Relations black spring burkina-faso sahel terrorism instability |
| title | The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso |
| title_full | The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso |
| title_fullStr | The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso |
| title_short | The Global Terrorist Threat in the Sahel and the Origins of Terrorism in Burkina Faso |
| title_sort | global terrorist threat in the sahel and the origins of terrorism in burkina faso |
| topic | black spring burkina-faso sahel terrorism instability |
| url | https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/viewFile/31416/20885 |
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