Extremism and Islamist insurgency have long been only two challenges of a complex situation in the Sahel region which is a “hotbed” jihadist groups in Africa. 

According to U.N. figures, Jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left nearly 4,000 people dead last year, with many Christians among them. Some 800,000 people have been displaced since 2015.

Since 2012, in Burkina Faso alone, approximately 700,000 people have been displaced. According to Agenzia Fides, the goal of terrorist groups is to create hostility using an ethnic-religious pretext in society.

In the northeastern part of the country, since the beginning of this year, there have been at least five attacks against Christian communities and over two thousand schools have been closed.

Terrorist groups and armed militias could easily strengthen their positions by leveraging the sentiment of political and economic marginalisation present in the area, Agenzia Fides noted.

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