Burkina Faso

Peoples Under Threat Ranking:
#38
7

Summary

Embroiled in the wider conflict affecting the tri-state border area with Mali and Niger for more than five years, Burkina Faso has recently seen a southward extension of attacks by Islamist militants affiliated with the Sahelian branches of al-Qaeda and ISIS. Alarmingly, June 2021 saw the most deadly attack to date when more than 160… Read more »

Peoples Under Threat Data

2021 Data Peoples under Threat value
Self-determination conflictsNo data
Major armed conflict2
Prior genocide / politicideNo data
Flight of refugees and IDPs0.0660
Legacy of vengeance - group grievance4.5
Rise of factionalized elites7.8
Voice and Accountability-0.171
Political Stability-1.552
Rule of Law-0.418
OECD country risk classification7
TOTAL11.726

The overall measure for each country is based on a basket of 10 indicators. The number in each row is drawn from the source for that particular indicator. The sources of data and calculations used are detailed on the Notes to Table page. 

Background

Embroiled in the wider conflict affecting the tri-state border area with Mali and Niger for more than five years, Burkina Faso has recently seen a southward extension of attacks by Islamist militants affiliated with the Sahelian branches of al-Qaeda and ISIS. Alarmingly, June 2021 saw the most deadly attack to date when more than 160 people were massacred in Solhan village, while November saw unprecedented losses among security forces in a single attack. Civilians have also faced killings and rights abuses without redress at the hands of Burkinabé armed forces, who have been supported in their counter-insurgency activities by France and a regional counterterrorism coalition, the G5 Sahel Joint Force. Already Burkina Faso has the world’s fastest growing displacement crisis, with more than 1.4 million people uprooted. Yet an apparent increased fracturing of jihadist groups puts civilians at greater risk as insurgencies further intertwine with localized violence, primarily between Mosse and Foulse ‘self-defence’ militias and ethnic Fulani, who have been accused of aligning with jihadists.