By Semafor Africa
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Côte d’Ivoire wants the US to station spy planes in the country to help it fight jihadists who have gained territory across much of West Africa in recent months, according to Reuters.
Extremist groups, including some linked to al-Qaida, have turned the region into one of the world’s terrorism hotspots, forcing millions to flee and further destabilizing economies where the cost of living has risen sharply as militants restrict access to farmland, jeopardizing food security.
Their territorial expansion has been aided by several regional countries breaking long-term security alliances with Western nations, replacing their assistance with help from Russia, which analysts say is a far weaker partner.
Some experts now fear that fighting between jihadi groups could turn West Africa into an “insurgency corridor” spanning 1,000 miles, Bloomberg reported.
