A priest missing since Tuesday in Burkina Faso’s jihadist-plagued southwest has been found dead, security and local sources said Thursday. “The priest’s lifeless body was found in the Toumousseni Forest” in the Cascades region bordering Ivory Coast and Mali, a security source said. A local politician confirmed that the priest, Abbot Rodrigue Sanon from the Notre Dame de Soubaganyedougou parish, had been found dead.
While the priest’s disappearance and death remain unexplained, Burkina Faso’s southeast harbours jihadists and bandits — much like parts of neighbouring states in the Sahel region. Sanon had left his parish on Tuesday heading for the regional capital Banfora, but “never arrived”, bishop Lucas Kalfa Sanou said Wednesday in a statement. His car was found empty on the main road and security forces launched a search operation. “Everything looks like a kidnapping by armed terrorist groups,” a security source in the capital Ouagadougou told AFP, using Sahel governments’ preferred terminology for jihadists. “They must have executed their hostage to slip by the military cordon,” the source added.
Since 2015, jihadist groups — some affiliated to al-Qaeda and others to the Islamic State militant group — have launched increasing numbers of attacks in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world. Over that period, 1,100 people have been killed and more than one million have fled. Last August, the grand imam of the northern town of Djibo was found dead three days after gunmen stopped the car he was travelling in and kidnapped him. In March 2019, a priest in Djibo was kidnapped, and in February 2018, a Catholic missionary, Cesar Fernandez, was murdered in the centre of the country.
Chadian President Mahamat Déby’s support for Sudan’s Hemedti amid the Sudanese conflict has sparked tension at home, risking political instability and opposition within Chad’s military and ruling elite.
Foreign mining companies in the Sahel are encountering unprecedented challenges as the military juntas in Mali and Niger tighten their grip on natural resources.
U.S. administrations, whether Republican or Democrat, have historically shown limited focus on Africa, prioritizing counterterrorism over development. With recent geopolitical shifts, some are calling for a more balanced approach, emphasizing stability and economic growth over military presence.
There have been more chatter and speculations about the activities of Russia’s mercenaries, formerly known as the Wagner Group, now reportedly called the Afrika Corps in the Sahel. It is unclear if the name "Afrika Corps" is official, but if so, it certainly confirms...
Free weekly newsletter on events and issues in North Africa and the Sahel
Signup for the most relevant news sent to your email once a week. Please check your email and spam folder for double opt in.