Burkina Faso: in the eye of Al-Qaeda

By on July 9, 2010
All elements of the U.S. Peace Corps have been called back from the villages where they live, and left the town of Naba Kango, in the North of Burkina Faso, under military escort.

Rumors talk about activists of the nebulous Al-Qaeda who project to take Westerner hostages, including Americans.
It will be the first time that Osama bin Laden’s network would conduct expeditions in Burkina Faso through its branch al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which acquired a large notoriety, particularly in the deserts of Algeria, Mali, Niger and Mauritania.
The effectiveness of the American intelligence network is so high to a degree that there is no room for doubt about the veracity and seriousness of the information that led the U.S. authorities to recall of the Peace Corps members in northern Burkina Faso. This area of Burkina Faso is used to be an enclave of tranquility untouched by the jihadists that wage war in the Sahelo-Saharan band, targeting Western citizens to kidnap, sequester and bribe to release.
So why would AQIM carry out attacks in Burkina? Probably to force Burkina review its relation and cooperation with the U.S. This could be also retaliation on Burkina for its mediation in hostage-taking cases. Or simply AQIM is taking advantage of the porous borders to expand its operations and influence to the entire area of the Sahel desert…

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