Executive Director of The Kukah Centre, Fr. Atta Barkindo has expressed concern over the growing threat of jihadist expansion across West Africa, warning that extremist groups may soon overrun parts of the Sahel region if urgent international action is not taken.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News from 14:33, Fr. Barkindo cited reports of increasing militant activity in Mali and neighbouring countries, noting that the situation could escalate into a regional catastrophe.
“We also hear the stories that they have surrounded Bamako and that they are likely going to take Mali and maybe the whole of Sahel,” he said.
Fr. Barkindo, a leading scholar on religion and conflict, explained that jihadist groups have exploited weak governance, porous borders, and poverty to gain control over large swathes of territory in the Sahel. He warned that their growing influence threatens not only Mali but also Niger, Burkina Faso, and potentially Nigeria’s northern borders.
According to him, the fall of Mali’s capital, Bamako, to extremist forces would send shockwaves across the continent and embolden similar movements operating in other parts of Africa. He urged African governments and international partners to intensify intelligence sharing, security cooperation, and counterterrorism strategies to prevent such a scenario.
Fr. Barkindo also highlighted the need for non-military solutions, including education, youth empowerment, and community engagement, to combat the ideological roots of extremism. “You can defeat a group militarily,” he noted, “but if the ideology is not addressed, it will resurface in another form.”
He concluded by calling for urgent regional collaboration through ECOWAS and the African Union, warning that failure to act decisively could lead to the destabilization of the entire West African subregion. “The Sahel’s fall,” he said, “would be a tragedy for the whole continent.” View, More,
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