Côte d'Ivoire has created an " operational zone " in the north of the country to " prevent any infiltration of armed groups, " the government said on Monday (July 13th). The announcement echoes a jihadist attack on an army post in Kafolo that left 14 people dead on the night of June 10-11. " Faced with persistent insecurity at the borders between Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Burkina Faso due to the presence of armed terrorist groups in these neighboring countries and following the attack " by Kafolo, the government authorized " the creation of an operational zone in the north of our country ", according to the press release from the extraordinary Council of Ministers on Monday.
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The area will have a single command for military operations. " This Northern Operational Zone will make it possible to move from the border surveillance phase to a defensive posture (...) in order to prevent any infiltration of these armed groups into the national territory ", indicates the text which also evokes " a strong reversibility capacity in offensive mission ”.
" The objective of the North Operational Zone will be to strengthen the operational capacities of the troops deployed in the context of Operation + Waterproof Borders +, particularly in the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire, " he adds.
Kafolo attack, the first jihadist action in the country since 2016
The attack on Kafolo, attributed to the jihadists but not claimed so far, is the first deadly terrorist action on Ivorian soil since the attack on Grand Bassam in 2016 (19 dead). From a security source, it is the work of fighters from the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), the main alliance in the Sahel affiliated to Al-Qaeda.
The attack is considered to be a retaliatory action against a joint military operation by Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso in May to dislodge jihadists installed in the north of Côte d'Ivoire.
About sixty people, including the commando chief, were arrested before and after the attack, according to security sources. Neighboring Burkina and Mali are plagued by recurrent jihadist attacks, and Côte d'Ivoire has repeatedly expressed its desire not to see jihadists settle in the country.