Why is Burkina Faso al-Qaeda's latest target?

(Baonghean.vn) - Behind this attack, what does al-Qeada want to show and who is the target of this organization?

At 7:30 p.m. on January 15, gunmen attacked the Splendid Hotel in the capital Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and nearby Cappuccino cafes. Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens more were injured in the worst terrorist attack ever in the country. The international terrorist network al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after.

Fire and smoke billow from the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital, on the evening of January 15. Photo: Reuters.

Like the attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali's capital in November, the attack on the Splendid Hotel was a targeted attack by terrorists seeking to cause carnage that would capture the world's attention.

A luxury location, the Splendid Hotel is known as the quintessence of Burkina Faso, where international businessmen often stay when visiting Burkina Faso. The adjacent Cappuccino cafe is also often crowded with local and international guests.

Location of Splendid Hotel. Graphics: News Grio.

What does AQIM want to express behind this attack and who is the target of this organization?

First, it is a message to compete with other jihadist groups, especially the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS). Weakened by infighting over the past few years, AQIM has seen its influence decline while IS has grown stronger in north and west Africa.

More importantly, the attack served as an announcement that terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar and his organization, Al Murabitun, were back. They claimed responsibility for both the Ouagadougou and Bamako attacks.

Portrait of al-Qaeda terrorist leader in North Africa Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Photo: Guardian

Second, the attack was also a message from the terrorist organization to France and its counter-terrorism operation, Operation Barkhane, which was set up to fight Islamist elements across West Africa and the Sahel region.

Barkhane has a base in Ouagadougou and French commandos were involved in the attack on January 15, but it was too late. The expansion of AQIM shows that the French military cannot deal with the problem alone.

Third is the new government of Burkina Faso. The BBC's Tomi Oladipo said the attack "appears to be an attempt by AQIM to show that it is not only consolidating its power in the region, but can also carry out violent attacks elsewhere".

This is bad news for Burkina Faso's new president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who took office in November.

Smoke rises as protesters set fire to vehicles outside the parliament building in Ouagadougou on October 30. Photo: AFP

Ultimately, for the citizens of Burkina Faso, this attack sends a more troubling message: that the fight for power is not over.

The popular uprising against former President Compaoré in October 2014 was seen as relatively peaceful. Even when a key Compaoré ally took power from the interim government in late 2015, the reaction was largely angry but relatively calm.

But for terrorist groups like AQIM, which see themselves as the only path to radical change, those in power are an existential threat that must be eliminated. The terrorist attack sent a powerful message of fear, suspicion and insecurity to the people of Burkina Faso.

Phuong Thao

(According to The Guardian)