The trial of 45 people accused of involvement in a deadly 2020 attack on an Ivorian military checkpoint resumed on Monday at Côte d’Ivoire’s Anti-Terrorism Court in Abidjan, as authorities seek to dismantle jihadist networks operating along the country’s northern borders. The defendants are charged with participating in or aiding the assault on the town of Kafolo, near the border with Burkina Faso, in which 14 Ivorian soldiers were killed. Among those on trial are the alleged leader of the armed unit that carried out the attack and the father of a suspected attacker, accused of helping his son evade arrest.
The Kafolo attack marked one of the deadliest jihadist incidents in Côte d’Ivoire and occurred just weeks after Ivorian and Burkinabé forces destroyed a jihadist base in Alidougou, Burkina Faso, highlighting the spillover of extremist violence from the Sahel into coastal West Africa. Prosecutors say the trial is crucial to understanding how extremist groups recruit, operate, and move fighters across borders in the region. While Côte d’Ivoire has so far avoided the scale of violence seen in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, analysts from the International Crisis Group warn that persistent insecurity in the Sahel continues to pose a serious threat. The court adjourned the hearing and is expected to resume proceedings on January 19.
