Ghanaian Nationals Join the Fight in Burkina Faso's Insurgency

Three Ghanaians speak to the BBC about their participation in the brutal conflict with Islamist militants in Burkina Faso, highlighting the complex motivations behind their involvement, from personal grievances to financial incentives.

Three Ghanaians, sharing their experiences in Burkina Faso's deadly conflict with Islamist insurgents, have revealed the personal and economic factors driving their participation. Speaking to the BBC from Tamale, Ghana, the men recounted harrowing scenes of violence, stating they had encountered shocking casualties in the battles. Having crossed the border without detection since 2018, they described a mix of motivations for joining the fight, ranging from a desire to protect their communities to personal vendettas against the Burkinabe military.

One man lamented the loss of his entire family, allegedly killed by government forces, while another acknowledged the role of religious beliefs in his participation. Despite the horror of their experiences, they admit the struggle has become ingrained in their lives. Their testimony underscores a troubling aspect of the insurgency, as they asserted that recruits come from across Ghana, driven by various factors—some sparked by religious zeal, others seeking financial gain through cattle rustling.

The conflict has had devastating repercussions, with numerous civilians displaced and thousands of lives lost. Aid organizations reported that two million have been uprooted due to violence, with refugees like Ninpoa Nasuri and Saafiya Karim recounting brutal attacks by insurgents and the military alike. While Ghana has so far been relatively insulated from the insurgency, rising tensions in places like Bawku indicate the potential for spillover effects, with illicit arms trafficking becoming increasingly prevalent.

Though the leaders of the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) insist they have no ambitions to expand their operations into Ghana, the existing tensions raise concerns among authorities. Ghana's government faces significant challenges in maintaining peace, especially as the situation deteriorates in neighboring regions. As the three fighters candidly acknowledged, the insurgency could potentially resonate far beyond Burkina Faso's borders, posing an ever-increasing threat to stability in West Africa.