State Department Designates Ansarul Islam As A Terrorist Organization

On February 20^th the United States State Department designated Ansarul Islam (AI) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, which results in the imposition of certain key sanctions on the group’s ability to engage in financial transactions and receive support.

AI is a terrorist group located in Burkina Faso. The group was formed in 2016 in Mondoro, Mali by Ibrahim Mala Dicko. Dicko created an operational base in the forests of central Mali, which was just across the border of Burkina Faso.

Dicko has a history of attempting to join other jihadist groups in West Africa. Dicko attempted to link up with Mali-based jihadist group Ansar Dine which has al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) ties. During the 2012 Mali conflict Dicko went and joined the northern rebels trying to take over the government. AQIM is a jihadist group and designated by the US as a terrorist organization. AQIM joined the northern rebels during the conflict, but the rebels were repelled by French forces and other African allies, with U.S. assistance in early 2013.

Dicko was arrested by French forces but was eventually released in 2015. He died in early 2017 and his brother Jafar took control of Ansarul Islam. Jafar was previously with Katibat Macina, an affiliate of Ansar Dine located in southern Mali.

AI launched their first ever attack in December of 2016, attacking military personnel in the town of Nassoumbou in northern Burkina Faso. The attack left 12 soldiers dead, one of the deadliest against Burkina Faso troops.

The group was also believed to be responsible for a February 2017 attack on two police stations in the Soum region of Burkina Faso, as well as the murder of two men in the village of Kourfayel in March of 2017.

Burkina Faso is a small land-locked country, but it is relatively new to being targeting by jihadist groups. The fear is that northern Burkina Faso is the starting point for AI and that they will eventually spread further south if not confronted.

For some time, the government has not done enough to combat the group. Officials have repeatedly condemned terror attacks but have taken limited action. After the attack on Kourfayel in March officials proposed withdrawing peace-keeping contingents in Sudan and Mali and reassigning those troops to fight the AI in the north, creating a multinational force in the Sahel region.

Burkina Faso is a new front for al-Qaeda and their affiliates through AI. The US declaring AI as a terrorist organization will place restrictions on them, such as that AI will not receive any US foreign assistance and Americans will be prohibited from doing transactions with the group, there will also be a ban on defense exports and sales. These restrictions will hopefully slow AI down from spreading throughout Burkina Faso.