Increased military deployment in the North, joint operations with neighboring countries, a center for the fight against terrorism, etc. Côte d’Ivoire is stepping up measures to prevent the establishment of jihadist bases and terrorist actions in a region already targeted.
The north of Côte d’Ivoire, targeted since 2020 by several attacks by suspected jihadists, is “under control”, according to Lassina Doumbia. The Chief of Defense Staff highlights “joint operations” with border countries. The Ivorian military presence has also been reinforced in the eastern zone. Since the threats of jihadist attacks in 2020, a military base has been installed in the town of Tengrela near the border with Mali. An area under close surveillance and which seems relatively untouched for the time being.
Vigilance is also required on the border with Burkina Faso. This is where several Ivorian soldiers and gendarmes have been targeted in recent months, especially in Kafolo where 14 soldiers were killed in June 2020. The region is located near the Comoé park, a huge forest that serves as a base back for jihadist groups, according to security sources.
“Today, Burkina Faso and Mali constitute the epicenter of the terrorist threat which descends towards Côte d’Ivoire. The government has every interest in collaborating with these states.”
Lassina Diarra, Ivorian counterterrorism expertto AFP
Joint military operations are already taking place on the ground, but that is not all. Abidjan is counting on the projects supported by its Western partners to face the terrorist threat. France, for example, actively participated in the establishment of a specialized center to train soldiers, police, gendarmes and magistrates to fight terrorism. The International Academy for the Fight against Terrorism (AILCT) based in Jacqueville near Abidjan has already trained 500 people. Another American project called Resilience for Peace was recently launched to sensitize communities in the border region, especially young people, and involve them more in the fight against terrorism. More than $ 19 million will be released over five years for this program.
Despite all these measures, anti-terrorism experts insist first and foremost on development projects in the poorest regions and the consolidation of confidence in the State and its structures to avoid the establishment of jihadist groups in the country. within the population. “Terrorists who evolve on social dynamics and on the structural deficiencies of the State “, as Ivorian expert Lassina Diarra, author of International terrorism, the response of Côte d’Ivoire.