Burkina Faso: A Disturbing Reality
In a tragic and unsettling turn of events, the terrorist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has reportedly provided humanitarian aid to the survivors of the Solenzo massacre people who should have been protected by the state.
According to multiple sources, civilians who fled the massacre at the hands of the country’s security forces (FDS) found refuge not with the government, but with the very militants they were supposed to fear. JNIM offered them food, shelter, and medical assistance. Children, it is reported, will receive an education likely Quranic and as they grow older, they will face a stark choice: either join the ranks of jihadists or seek a future elsewhere.
This grim reality point out a dangerous shift: the perception of humanitarianism is changing sides. As the ruling junta continues its heavy-handed approach, failing to protect its people and alienating local communities, it is inadvertently legitimizing the actions of terrorist groups. By driving desperate civilians into the arms of jihadists, the government risks strengthening the very forces it claims to be fighting.
What should have been a clear battle against extremism is now muddied by a failure of governance. Instead of ensuring security, the state’s actions are pushing its own people toward the insurgents who now appear, at least in some cases, as the only ones offering relief.
This is not just a security crisis; it is a moral and political failure. And if left unaddressed, it will only deepen Burkina Faso’s suffering, turning more victims into recruits for terrorism.
