In the case of a terrorist attack on a Café in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, at least 18 people have been killed. For a long time, the West African country was relatively peaceful. Why this has changed?
Security forces evacuate the injured after the attack on Sunday evening
The terror begins against 21 o’clock. Three or even four of the offenders to open up in front of the Café Istanbul in the city center of Ouagadouguo the fire. With automatic weapons you have to shoot the guests. The Turkish Restaurant is a popular meeting place for foreigners living in the capital of Burkina Faso. Security forces arrived in armored vehicles. The attackers barricaded themselves in the Local. The exchange of fire lasts, according to media reports, up to five o’clock in the morning. At the end of at least 18 people are dead, including a Frenchman. Two attackers are killed. Many of the wounded are in the hospitals.
Burkina Faso government holds the attack for a terrorist attack. But to the alleged perpetrators. “The judiciary will decide, who the perpetrators were. This is not the task of the government,” rejected the suggestion with a government spokesman Remi Dandjinou journalists. It is still unclear whether it was an Islamist attack. Officially, no one has to be the fact known.
Café Istanbul is a popular meeting place for foreigners
Attack on the self-confidence of the government
An Islamist Background, but it is considered likely. Because Burkina Faso has already become multi-target for such attacks. In January 2016 stormed a cafe that is located barely 200 meters from the present site of the attack away Armed. The attack cost 30 people their lives.
“Such incidents are often perpetrated by small armed groups, the Connections to the well-known Islamist networks in the Sahel,” says the West Africa expert Paul Melly of the British Think Tank Chatham House in a DW Interview. In neighboring Mali Islamists in 2012, brought briefly to the North of the country under their control until they were driven out by French troops. Of Ouagadougo, there are only about 160 kilometers to the Malian border. Islamist bombers can reach relatively easily to the neighboring country.
The G5-countries plan to establish a separate Anti-Terror-force in West Africa
“With such an attack, you want to shake the self-confidence of the Burkinabe state,” says expert Melly. Currently Burkina Faso is hard against the Islamists. The government supports the military operations of France and other Western countries in the Region. Burkina Faso is in the Region of the largest number of troops for the UN Mission in Mali. Together with Niger, Mauritania, Mali and Chad, it forms the so-called G5 group of countries. She is planning the construction of a 5000 man strong rapid reaction Force to fight Islamists in the Region. Germany and France are supporting the project. In September will be held a summit in Berlin.
Economy under pressure
The attacks also hit the economy of the poor Sahelstaates. “If no protective measures are taken, we will lose foreign investors and the tourism will go broke,” warns the local terror expert Jacob Yara. By the Terror in the Region, tourist numbers have plummeted in the past few years: in 2007 289.000 tourists came into the country. In 2015, it was only 163.000.
Nevertheless, experts do not believe that Burkina Faso is stuck soon in the same location as the neighboring country of Mali. There suspected Islamists are guilty of attacks, large parts of the country, despite the UN-deployment is still uncertain. “Politically, Burkina Faso is one of the relatively strong States in the Sahel Region,” says Paul Melly. But he, too, is sure: The attacks will continue.