Ten years after a deadly al-Qaeda-linked attack on the beach resort town of Grand Bassam killed 19 people, Côte d’Ivoire continues to face the growing threat of jihadist violence along its northern borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. The 2016 attack marked the first major terrorist incident on Ivorian soil and remains deeply traumatic for survivors. However, while the country’s south has largely returned to normalcy, the north faces increasing spillover from a Sahel insurgency whose related attacks have nearly tripled in coastal West Africa. Meanwhile, analysts warn that militant groups like Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin have become more sophisticated, with drone strikes rising from fewer than 10 in 2024 to about 80 in 2025. In response, the government has bolstered security forces, opened a counterterrorism training academy, and invested in social programs in vulnerable border communities. Nevertheless, officials remain concerned about porous borders, dense forests, and persistent regional instability.
The Guardian
