Al-Qaeda's “expansion project”: Côte d'Ivoire and Benin facing the jihadist threat
An Ivorian soldier in Grand-Bassam, March 13, 2016, the day of the attack.
REUTERS / Joe Penney
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
Al-Qaeda is fueling an “expansion project” towards the Gulf of Guinea, in particular Côte d'Ivoire and Benin, believes the head of French foreign intelligence, Bernard Emié.
What do we know about the threat in this area?
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According to the head of the French DGSE,
al-Qaeda's plan to expand into the Gulf of Guinea
emerged during a meeting of the highest local terrorist leaders in February 2020, which was preparing for large-scale operations.
The presence of terrorist relays in West Africa is not new.
In his hearing before the Malian police, the terrorist nicknamed Ibrahim 10 evokes in 2016 his scouts carried out on the instructions of the jihadist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar.
He says he made a first trip in 2012 to Côte d'Ivoire, and reports other trips, especially to Senegal.
Côte d'Ivoire learned in pain one day in March 2016 that it was a target of the jihadists.
The attack on the
seaside town of Grand Bassam
claimed by Aqmi killed around twenty people.
In June 2020, an outpost on the border with Burkina Faso, in Kafolo, was attacked by jihadists linked to Katiba Macina, itself an emanation of al-Qaeda.
Results 14 soldiers killed.
In 2019, two attacks against foreigners affected the Burkina-Togo and Burkina-Benin borders.
Attacks revealing a desire to strike outside known Sahelian fiefdoms.
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To listen: "Expansion project" of al-Qaeda towards the Gulf of Guinea: "A risk pointed out for years"
At the end of 2018, well before the 2020 meeting mentioned by Bernard Emié, three jihadist leaders openly display in a video their desire to rally the Fulani of West Africa to the jihad.
Iyad Ag Ghali, Amadou Koufa and Djamel Okacha then launched an appeal to the Fulani of Ghana and Nigeria in particular.
Benin and Côte d'Ivoire, mentioned by the head of French foreign intelligence, would for the time being no longer areas of refuge for the supply and trafficking of fuel.
“
Transitional and logistical
”
activity areas
therefore more than permanent katiba establishment areas, for the moment ...
Reinforced devices along the Ivorian border
In Côte d'Ivoire, since the attack on Grand Bassam and the raid on Kafolo, the army and the gendarmerie have reinforced their devices along the border, particularly in terms of mobility and intelligence, in an attempt to prevent infiltrations and monitor suspicious movements, explains our correspondent in Abidjan,
Pierre Pinto
.
Why the Ivory Coast?
“
It is a logistics hub for Barkhane.
And there are many French interests here
, ”says researcher Lassina Diarra.
Côte d'Ivoire is also engaged in Mali, where it lost four peacekeepers in an attack last month.
"
The threat is not new,"
comments Arthur Banga, specialist in the Ivorian army who wonders: are
the statements of the DGSE a political message at a time when the French executive is wondering what device to maintain in the Sahel ?
Or does she have more important signals lately?
"
In any event, plans for an attack have already been foiled in Abidjan in recent years.
And since 2018, France and Côte d'Ivoire have set up
the International Academy for the fight against terrorism
.
A regional school which is due to open its doors near Abidjan soon.
Kidnappings in Benin
In Benin, no authority has yet spoken publicly on the subject, reports our correspondent in Cotonou,
Jean Luc Aplogan
.
According to RFI information, the Presidency of the Republic and the institutions dealing with defense and security have not organized a meeting on the issue.
An official recalls that this kind of noise has often happened to their ears.
“
But I'm not trivializing,”
he warns.
The one who spoke is not just anyone
, ”an allusion to Bernard Emié, the boss of the DGSE.
The ministerial cabinet council which met on Monday did not discuss the subject.
"
We may talk about it in various tomorrow in the Council of Ministers
", thinks a member of the government questioned.
Since May 2019, Benin has been facing a security challenge following the double kidnapping of French nationals and the assassination of their guide
in the Pendjari park
.
To curb the threat, the army has deployed hundreds of soldiers in the Pendjari parks and in the W park, on the border with Burkina Faso and Niger.
Their mission is to patrol and escort high-ranking personalities in particular.
The objective is also to show that the State is present, in operational language: the “show the flag”, to show the flag.
The operation is still in progress.
It was expected that it will gain momentum.
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Sahel
Terrorism
Ivory Coast
Benign