Burkina Faso use it as hide-out and smuggling route

A person from Ghana has informed the BBC how he was seized at gunpoint by jihadists in neighbouring Burkina Faso, earlier than being taken to their huge desert camp the place he gained a uncommon perception into their lives – from the kids he believed had been skilled as suicide bombers, to the tunnels they’d dug to protect themselves and their armoured tanks from air strikes.

In his first media interview since his 2019 ordeal, the person – whom we’re calling James to guard his id – mentioned his first day on the camp was terrifying as an enormous variety of Islamist fighters returned from an operation, firing pictures within the air.

“I believed that was the tip. I used to be simply sweating,” James mentioned, including that he additionally ended up wetting his pants when some fighters hit him with their weapons – and laughed.

James, who’s in his 30s and follows a standard African faith, mentioned the insurgents later tried to recruit him, attractive him with the attract of energy by saying he might at some point turn into the commander of a battalion.

“The commander introduced out a sack. It contained totally different weapons, AK-47, M16, and G3 [rifles]. So he requested me which ones I might function, and I mentioned I had by no means operated one earlier than. He mentioned: ‘We’ve got larger weapons, so if I provide you with a battalion to deal with, no-one can hurt you’,” James added.

He mentioned he was fortunate to be launched about two weeks later after he begged for his freedom, claiming that he had a sick baby at residence and promising the camp commander that he would turn into his recruiting-sergeant in Ghana – a promise he says he by no means stored.

Ghana’s Nationwide Fee on Civic Schooling, a authorities physique which is spearheading a public marketing campaign to forestall younger folks from becoming a member of the jihadists, informed the BBC that it was conscious of James’ expertise.

“I met him in an try and sensitise tertiary-level college students,” mentioned Mawuli Agbenu, the fee’s regional director within the capital, Accra.

“We will certainly have a approach of participating with him in order that he will likely be an envoy or an influencer inside his group,” Mr Agbenu added.

Lengthy a secure democracy, Ghana has up to now been spared the violence that has seen the insurgency unfold, inflicting havoc in Burkina Faso and its West African neighbours.

The insurgents who kidnapped James belonged to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), or The Help Group for Islam and Muslims. An affiliate of al-Qaeda, it was formally launched in 2017 as an umbrella physique for varied jihadist teams within the area.

In Burkina Faso, they’re strongest within the north, the place they management giant areas, however they’ve additionally expanded to the south, alongside the porous 550km-long (340 mile) border with Ghana.

Greater than 15,000 folks from Burkina Faso have fled into northern Ghana to flee the battle, aid agencies say.

Other than Burkina Faso, the jihadists have additionally gained territory in Niger and Mali, and have carried out assaults in Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo – all former French colonies – elevating fears that the insurgency was spreading south in the direction of the coast.

In April, a senior UN official mentioned that “the epicentre of terrorism has shifted from the Middle East and North Africa into sub-Saharan Africa, concentrated largely within the Sahel area [which includes Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger]”.

Jihadists linked to each al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group function within the area.

A Ghanaian safety officer stationed alongside the border with Burkina Faso informed the BBC that the jihadists typically crossed over to regroup when underneath stress from Burkina Faso’s army – they usually additionally used the nation to smuggle weapons, meals and gasoline.

“It’s not secure for Ghana. They disguise in cities like Pusiga. Residents of border communities are frightened as a result of there’s no tight safety,” he added.

In a report released in July, the Netherlands Institute of Worldwide Relations think-tank mentioned the “absence of actual assaults on Ghanaian soil appears to outcome from JNIM’s calculus of not disturbing provide traces and locations of relaxation in addition to not upsetting a comparatively sturdy military”.

“Examples of people who find themselves spared by JNIM by displaying their Ghanaian id playing cards matches this studying,” it added.

Most Ghanaians are Christians, however the inhabitants close to the border with Burkina Faso is principally Muslim – and elements of the area have additionally been riven with ethnic tensions, elevating fears that the jihadists might exploit them to their benefit.

The think-tank mentioned that JNIM had tried in a “very small quantity” of cases to recruit or incite Ghana’s small, largely Muslim Fulani group to hold out assaults.

JNIM claimed that they had been marginalised, however its recruitment efforts had “minimal success” because the Fulani had been “conscious of the chaos that has enveloped the Sahel on account of familial networks” and didn’t need it to happen in Ghana, the think-tank added.

A Fulani Muslim preacher in Burkina Faso, Amadou Koufa, is the co-founder of JNIM and is its second-in-command. He recruits most of his fighters from the Fulani group in Burkina Faso.

The army has been accused by rights teams of retaliating by stigmatising Fulanis, and finishing up indiscriminate assaults on their villages in Burkina Faso.

In 2022, a France-based NGO, Promediation, mentioned its analysis confirmed that the jihadists had recruited between 200 and 300 younger Ghanaians.

Though some had been working in insurgency-hit international locations like Burkina Faso, others had been despatched again to their villages in northern Ghana to evangelise their “radical religion”, it added.

This might finally result in the jihadists gaining “a sustainable foothold in distant and peripheral areas within the north”, the NGO mentioned.

Since 2022, Ghana has been on the forefront of efforts to create a brand new Western-backed, 10,000-strong regional drive to fight the Islamist insurgency.

Tamale – the most important metropolis in northern Ghana – is meant to be the drive’s headquarters.

Nonetheless, the headquarters has not but opened, and the destiny of the initiative is unclear after the area break up between pro-Western and pro-Russian states.

Burkina Faso – together with Mali and Niger – have pivoted in the direction of Russia. The three international locations have fashioned their very own alliance to combat the insurgents, and have additionally relied on assist from Russian mercenaries.

Ghana and different regional states have remained allied with the West.

Ghana’s army has established bases within the north, however newly put in border surveillance tools was not but working, the safety officer, who spoke on situation of anonymity, informed the BBC.

Nonetheless, extra troops have been despatched since JNIM carried out two assaults, late final month and earlier this month, on the Burkina Faso aspect of the border, the officer added.

Ghana’s authorities didn’t reply to a BBC request for remark.

Nonetheless, its ambassador to Burkina Faso, Boniface Gambila Adagbila, informed the BBC the 2 international locations had been serving to one another to combat the insurgents, warning that if Burkina Faso fails “Ghana could prone to be the following place”.

Ghana’s Nationwide Democratic Congress (NDC) occasion – which is able to kind the following authorities after successful elections on 7 December – promised in its marketing campaign manifesto to “improve” border safety with “worldwide companions”, in addition to enhance the nation’s intelligence capabilities.

In August 2023, the European Union introduced that as a part of a 20m euro ($21.6m; £16.6m) help bundle it will provide Ghana with about 100 armoured automobiles, in addition to surveillance tools comparable to drones.

Many civilians and refugees cross the Ghana-Burkina Faso border by footpaths and again roads to work, commerce or go to family regardless of the safety threat – and James mentioned he was considered one of them. He was travelling all the best way to Senegal on his motorcycle when he was taken captive.

After driving for practically a day, he mentioned he encountered the insurgents in north-western Burkina Faso, as he was nearing the border with Mali.

A handful of jihadists, additionally on motorbikes, stopped him and took him to their camp the place he was interrogated till their commander was satisfied that he was not a spy, James mentioned.

He added that his blindfold – the trademark black jihadist flag – was then eliminated.

James mentioned he discovered about 500 insurgents – largely younger males, together with one who recognized himself as a physician – dwelling within the camp.

Situated in desert-like terrain, it was made up of thatch-roofed huts, with small electricity-generating photo voltaic panels, he mentioned.

He added that the camp was divided into three sections – for commanders and their households, lower-ranking jihadists and captured villagers and troopers.

James mentioned he was detained within the latter part, however received “nearer” to the jihadists within the second week as he more and more acted as if he had turn into a sympathiser of their trigger.

They sat round in teams of 5 or 10, and listened to the songs of Salif Keïta, the Malian musician often called the Golden Voice of Africa, James mentioned.

Different jihadist teams have banned music, saying it’s un-Islamic.

James mentioned that whereas the ambiance on the camp was typically relaxed, teams of jihadists frequently went to combat, firing celebratory pictures once they returned, claiming to have achieved battlefield success.

James mentioned he realised that this was the gunfire he had heard on the primary day, and received used to it.

He added that the insurgents parked their tanks and pick-up vans in two inter-connected tunnels to make sure they weren’t destroyed if there was an air strike, whereas only some automobiles remained outdoors “on stand-by, for an emergency”.

He mentioned the jihadists additionally revealed their darkest sides – telling him they captured ladies throughout raids on villages and bought them to one another.

“They commerce the ladies they’ve captured. Others promote wives that they’re fed up with. Those that resist are gang-raped into submission by two or three fighters,” James added, although he didn’t see them do that.

James mentioned the ladies on the camp included the wives of jihadists who carried out home chores like cooking and cleansing, whereas those that had been captured had been both sex-slaves or had been compelled to turn into fighters.

He defined that he noticed absolutely veiled ladies, with AK-47 rifles hidden underneath their garments, depart the camp to raid villages for livestock to feed folks on the camp – or to promote at markets in close by cities.

James mentioned he additionally noticed dozens of youngsters, together with these of jihadists, being skilled in the usage of weapons and explosives.

“You may see a small child holding a gun and telling you that if he goes to satisfy some folks, that is how he’s going to kill them,” James added.

He mentioned he twice noticed 4 youngsters being taken to a different location, earlier than returning to the camp with suicide vests.

They wore lengthy, free outfits over them, and left the camp with begging bowls, James mentioned.

Jihadists informed him that once they anticipate a tricky battle in a city or army camp, they ship youngsters disguised as beggars who then blow themselves up, so the fighters can enter amid the chaos, James mentioned.

He added that three jihadists had informed him that they “sacrifice their youngsters as suicide bombers they usually receives a commission after each mission”, although they didn’t disclose the quantity.

He mentioned the jihadists tried to indoctrinate him, preaching that “something Western is evil” and displaying him propaganda movies each evening, together with one of many US invasion of Iraq and the killing of Palestinians within the present battle with The occupying Zionist entity.

In line with James, because the insurgency was being waged in French-speaking international locations, all of the jihadists had been Francophone, however one spoke English with a Ghanaian accent, and at all times stored his face lined in order that he couldn’t see him.

In an indication that the jihadists had been additionally influenced by pan-Africanism, James mentioned a few of them invoked the names of revolutionaries like Burkina Faso’s Thomas Sankara and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah and informed him that folks ought to “stand up” in opposition to “dangerous leaders” and free themselves from “bondage”.

James mentioned the jihadists additionally expressed the view that if Sankara and Nkrumah had “lived lengthy”, then “the entire of Africa would have been a greater place – no person would have travelled from Africa to the West. Folks would have been travelling from the West to Africa”.

James, unemployed on the time, mentioned their rhetoric was highly effective, and solely “power of coronary heart” prevented him from becoming a member of their ranks.

On how precisely he was captured, James mentioned that two Muslim associates had been travelling with him on the time, promising to introduce him to a Muslim non secular chief in Senegal who might pray for him and enhance his fortunes.

All three of them had been intercepted by the jihadists as they had been coming to the tip of the primary leg of their journey, he mentioned.

James added considered one of his associates was shot useless as he tried to flee, whereas his different pal was taken with him to the camp.

James mentioned the commander didn’t launch his pal, making him worry that he had been compelled to hitch the jihadists – or was useless.

“The commander informed me that: ‘I’ll allow you to go should you guarantee me you’ll get me extra fighters’,” James mentioned.

He added that earlier than driving him to a bus rank and giving him the fare for the journey again residence, the insurgents gave him a contact quantity to keep up a correspondence, however, James mentioned, he by no means did and adjusted his quantity.

In line with James, the jihadists additionally gave him charms, which supposedly had supernatural powers.

Once more, many different jihadists reject the usage of amulets, believing them to be opposite to the teachings of Islam.

James confirmed the BBC the amulets, which had been fabricated from fowl feathers, animal skins and herbs, lined in leather-based and fabric.

They included one which the jihadists falsely informed him provided safety from bullets.

James mentioned he by no means received the impression that the insurgents needed to destabilise Ghana, seeing it because the “most secure place” to cover when underneath stress from Burkina Faso’s army.

Their focus was on waging an insurgency in international locations the place France and the US “exists”, believing that these two international locations exploit Africa’s assets, to the detriment of its folks, James mentioned. That is denied by each international locations.

Ghana-based safety analyst Adib Saani expressed concern concerning the rising insurgency in West Africa, and mentioned he didn’t see a army answer to it.

“We have to transcend the militarised posture. We should deal with the socio-economic and geopolitical deficits which can be creating the atmosphere for terrorism to try,” he informed the BBC.

Ghana’s Nationwide Fee for Civic Schooling has been finishing up a public consciousness marketing campaign dubbed “see one thing, say one thing” to encourage residents within the north to report suspicious exercise.

The marketing campaign has additionally been prolonged to Accra, to coach younger folks concerning the risks of jihadism.

The fee’s Mr Agbanu informed the BBC that the marketing campaign was very important as Ghanaians had been susceptible to recruitment.

“There’s a excessive charge of corruption, unequal growth throughout the nation, and big youth unemployment,” he mentioned.

James, who’s now a subsistence farmer, mentioned that he was simply relieved to be alive because the jihadist commander had informed him that he was making an exception by releasing him as a result of usually it was “both your useless physique that can go residence or no person will ever hear of you once more”.