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Ansaroul Islam’s main goal is allegedly to reconquer and rebuild Djeelgodji, an ancient Fulani empire that disappeared after French colonization in the late 19th century.[23] While preaching on local radio stations in northern Burkina Faso, Ansaroul Islam’s founder gained diverse support through sermons emphasizing equality and brotherhood among different communities. This network of supporters strongly opposed the dominant religious and social authority of the hereditary nobility.[24]
Ansaroul Islam interacts closely with AQ front groups and affiliates in North Africa; Ansaroul Islam activity has purportedly created a front allowing AQ to achieve its primary aim—inspiring Muslims globally to attack enemies of Islam—in Burkina Faso.[25]
There are no known political activities for this group.
Ansaroul Islam has assaulted the Burkinabe police force, the Burkinabe military, and French counter-terrorism force bases and patrols. The group also targets civilians and government infrastructure, burning schools and administrative buildings throughout the Sahel.[26] Ansaroul Islam has launched multiple assassination campaigns, issuing threats to civilians and killing them, execution-style. Targeted individuals are frequently collaborators with security forces or the Burkinabe government, or former supporters of the Al-Irchad religious movement who refused to support the group’s evolution into militant jihadism.[27]
While Ansaroul Islam typically uses small arms and mortar fire in its attacks, the group began to use IEDs in its militant activities beginning in 2017, after receiving the knowledge and technical capabilities from JNIM. Ansaroul Islam has also been involved in criminal activity, such as robberies and cattle rustling.[28]
Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.
December 16, 2016: Ansaroul Islam attacked a joint camp of the Burkinabe military and gendarmerie forces in Nassoumbou, Burkina Faso, destroying vehicles and seizing military supplies. The group received assistance from the MLF and Ansar Dine subgroup Katibat Serma. Shortly after the attack, the militants officially declared the establishment of Ansaroul Islam (12 killed, unknown wounded).[29]
April 3, 2017: Ansaroul Islam launched its first IED attack in Mali, killing 2 shepherds near the Moungnoukana village (2 killed, unknown wounded).[30]
August 17, 2017: Ansaroul Islam claimed responsibility for the first IED attack in Burkina Faso, which targeted a military convoy in Djibo (3 killed, 2 wounded).[31]
September 23 - October 2, 2017: Ansaroul Islam was responsible for or participated in at least 8 jihadist attacks that took place in northern Burkina Faso. Militants targeted Burkinabe troops, gendarmerie forces, military outposts and civilians using IEDs, small arms and mortar fire, and assassinations (11+ killed, unknown wounded).[32]
February 26, 2018: Ansaroul Islam murdered two elderly men close to their home in Djibo, Burkina Faso. The men, who were members of the local government, had allegedly received multiple threats from Ansaroul Islam (2 killed, 0 wounded).[33
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- United States named Ansaroul Islam as a Specially Designated Foreign Terrorist (SDFT): February 20, 2018 to Present.[34]
Ansaroul Islam largely consists of members of the Fulani and Rimaibe ethnic groups, but also includes members from the Mossi, Bellah, Dogons, and Songhai groups. Prior to becoming a militant organization, Ansaroul Islam gained diverse support through sermons emphasizing equality and brotherhood among different communities. These sermons appealed immensely to local communities frustrated by the dominant religious and social authority of the hereditary nobility. Ansaroul Islam also attracted Burkinabes who bemoaned the lack of development and poor infrastructure as signs that the government was incapable of providing basic services in the Sahel region.[35] As Ansaroul Islam developed, some called it a “self-defense” group, as it defended communities in which it has popular support.[36]
At the same time, villagers in the Sahel region have been deeply frightened by Ansaroul Islam’s targeting and execution-style killing of civilians near their homes, frequently for collaborating with security forces or refusing to support the group’s evolution into militant jihadism.[37] Ansaroul Islam reportedly threatened villagers not to inform Burkinabe security forces of the activities and locations of its members.[38]
The Malian and Burkinabe military forces’ harsh crackdown on Ansaroul Islam activity by has alienated and displaced many civilians. State forces allegedly killed noncombatants as part of an extensive campaign to eradicate militants, leading to reduced access to health and educational services.[39] Thousands of Burkinabe civilians have been forced to flee their homes due to local insecurity and abuses by security forces.[40]
Ansaroul Islam allegedly has close ties with the Macina Liberation Front; the MLF emir, Amadou Kouffa, was a close ally of Boureima Dicko and played an important role in Ansaroul Islam’s founding. Ansaroul Islam has also received training and support from Ansar Dine subgroup, Katibat Serma, with whom it cooperated to launch the December 2016 attack in Nassoumbou, Burkina Faso.[41]
The MLF, as a unit of Ansar Dine, joined with other Islamist groups in the Sahel region in March 2017 to form Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen. While JNIM’s specific relationship with Ansaroul Islam is unknown, Ansaroul Islam has ideological, logistical, and operational links with the group.[42] Ansaroul Islam allegedly received the knowledge and technical capabilities to launch IED attacks from JNIM. Moreover, local news sources blamed Ansaroul Islam for six attacks carried out in Burkina Faso in 2017, which JNIM later claimed responsibility for.[43]
Ansaroul Islam is also closely associated with the Al Qaeda network and other affiliates in Mali and serves as a new front for AQ to spread its influence in Burkina Faso.[44] Senior AQIM commander Abu Bakr al-Shinquiti played an important role in recruiting, training, providing resources to the militants that ultimately formed Ansaroul Islam.[45]
Ansaroul Islam does not have any known state sponsors.
[1] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu.... ; “Burkina Faso militant attack: Twelve soldiers killed.” BBC News, 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38345220.
[2] “By Day We Fear the Army, By Night the Jihadists.” Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/21/day-we-fear-army-night-jihadists/a....
[3] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....
[4] Abba, Seidik. “Jafar Dicko, le nouveau visage du djihadisme au Burkina Faso.” Le Monde Afrique, 21 Dec. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/12/21/jafar-dicko-le-nouveau....
[5] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu.... ; “Burkina Faso militant attack: Twelve soldiers killed.” BBC News, 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38345220.
[6] Buchanan, Elsa. “Radical Muslim preacher Malam Ibrahim Dicko wants to rebuild the Peulh kingdom in Burkina Faso.” IB Times, 04 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/burkina-faso-who-muslim-preacher-malam-ibrahim....
[7] “The Social Roots of Jihadist Violence in Burkina Faso’s North.” International Crisis Group, 12 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/burkina-faso/254-social-r....
[8] “Mali: Unchecked Abuses in Military Operations.” Human Rights Watch, 08 Sept. 2017. Web. 16 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/09/08/mali-unchecked-abuses-military-opera....
[9] Weiss, Caleb. “Analysis: Jihadist attacks on the rise in northern Burkina Faso | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 02 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/10/analysis-jihadist-attack....
[10] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....
[11] Le monde source
[12] Abba, Seidik. “Jafar Dicko, le nouveau visage du djihadisme au Burkina Faso.” Le Monde Afrique, 21 Dec. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/12/21/jafar-dicko-le-nouveau....
[13] Cooke, Jennifer G, and Boris Toucas. “Understanding the G5 Sahel Joint Force: Fighting Terror, Building Regional Security?” CSIS, 15 Nov. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018; “The G5 Sahel and its Joint Force.” West Africa Brief, Feb. 2018. Web. 17 July 2018. https://www.csis.org/analysis/understanding-g5-sahel-joint-force-fightin....
[14] Weiss, Caleb. “Al Qaeda maintains operational tempo in West Africa in 2017 | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 05 Jan. 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/01/al-qaeda-maintains-opera....
[15] Buchanan, Elsa. “Radical Muslim preacher Malam Ibrahim Dicko wants to rebuild the Peulh kingdom in Burkina Faso.” IB Times, 04 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/burkina-faso-who-muslim-preacher-malam-ibrahim....
[16] Abba, Seidik. “Jafar Dicko, le nouveau visage du djihadisme au Burkina Faso.” Le Monde Afrique, 21 Dec. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/12/21/jafar-dicko-le-nouveau....
[17] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....
[18] Le Cam, Morgane. “Burkina Faso: confessions d’un ancient djihadiste.” Le Monde Afrique. 10 Dec. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/12/10/confessions-d-un-djiha....
[19] Weiss, Caleb. “State Department designates Burkinabe jihadist group Ansaroul Islam | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 20 Feb. 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/02/state-department-adds-bu....
[20] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....
[21] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....
[22] Weiss, Caleb. “Analysis: Jihadist attacks on the rise in northern Burkina Faso | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 02 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/10/analysis-jihadist-attack....
[23] Buchanan, Elsa. “Radical Muslim preacher Malam Ibrahim Dicko wants to rebuild the Peulh kingdom in Burkina Faso.” IB Times, 04 Jan. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/burkina-faso-who-muslim-preacher-malam-ibrahim....
[24] “The Social Roots of Jihadist Violence in Burkina Faso’s North.” International Crisis Group, 12 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/burkina-faso/254-social-r....
[25] Weiss, Caleb. “State Department designates Burkinabe jihadist group Ansaroul Islam | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 20 Feb. 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/02/state-department-adds-bu.... ; Gunaratna, Rohan. “Al Qaeda’s Ideology.” Hudson Institute, 19 May 2005. Web. 17 July 2018. https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/al-qaeda-s-ideology.
[26] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....
[27] “By Day We Fear the Army, By Night the Jihadists.” Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/21/day-we-fear-army-night-jihadists/a....
[28] “Baraboule dans le soum des individus armes enleve le troupeau de boeuf d’un maire,” Faso Nord, September 26, 2017.
[29] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu.... ; “Burkina Faso militant attack: Twelve soldiers killed.” BBC News, 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38345220.
[30] Heni Nsaibia, “Two young shepherds (13 and 14 years old) killed in IED/mine explosion in the forest of #Mondoro near the border with #BurkinaFaso,” Twitter, April 3, 2017.
[31] “Attaque d’un convoi militaire entre Tongomayel et Inatan: Une escalade dans le mode operatoire des ataques au Sahel.” INFOWAKAT, 17 Aug. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://infowakat.net/attaque-dun-convoi-militaire-entre-tongomayel-inat....
[32] Weiss, Caleb. “Analysis: Jihadist attacks on the rise in northern Burkina Faso | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 02 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/10/analysis-jihadist-attack.... ; Coulibaly, Nadoun. “Terrorisme: deux gendarmes burkinabe tues a Tongomayel, pres de la frontiere malienne.” Jeune Afrique, 27 Sept. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.jeuneafrique.com/477500/politique/terrorisme-deux-gendarmes-....
[33] “By Day We Fear the Army, By Night the Jihadists.” Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/21/day-we-fear-army-night-jihadists/a....
[34] “State Department Designation of Ansarul Islam.” U.S. Department of State. 20 Feb. 2018. Web. 10 July 2018. https://bf.usembassy.gov/state-department-designation-ansarul-islam/.
[35] “The Social Roots of Jihadist Violence in Burkina Faso’s North.” International Crisis Group, 12 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/burkina-faso/254-social-r....
[36] “The Social Roots of Jihadist Violence in Burkina Faso’s North.” International Crisis Group, 12 Oct. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/burkina-faso/254-social-r....
[37] “By Day We Fear the Army, By Night the Jihadists.” Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/21/day-we-fear-army-night-jihadists/a....
[38] “By Day We Fear the Army, By Night the Jihadists.” Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/21/day-we-fear-army-night-jihadists/a....
[39] “By Day We Fear the Army, By Night the Jihadists.” Human Rights Watch, 21 May 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/05/21/day-we-fear-army-night-jihadists/a....
[40] “Mali: Unchecked Abuses in Military Operations.” Human Rights Watch, 8 Sept. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/09/08/mali-unchecked-abuses-military-opera....
[41] Weiss, Caleb. “State Department designates Burkinabe jihadist group Ansaroul Islam | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 20 Feb. 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/02/state-department-adds-bu....
[42] Le Cam, Morgane. “Burkina Faso: confessions d’un ancient djihadiste.” Le Monde Afrique. 10 Dec. 2017. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/12/10/confessions-d-un-djiha....
[43] Weiss, Caleb. “Al Qaeda maintains operational tempo in West Africa in 2017 | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 05 Jan. 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/01/al-qaeda-maintains-opera....
[44] Weiss, Caleb. “State Department designates Burkinabe jihadist group Ansaroul Islam | The Long War Journal.” The Long War Journal, 20 Feb. 2018. Web. 13 July 2018. https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/02/state-department-adds-bu....
[45] Nsaibia, Heni, and Caleb Weiss. “Ansaroul Islam and the Growing Terrorist Insurgency in Burkina Faso.” Combating Terrorism Center, March 2018. Web. 12 July 2018. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/ansaroul-islam-growing-terrorist-insurgency-bu....