Trial of 45 people charged in connection with Kafolo terrorist attack resumes in Cote d’Ivoire

The trial of 45 people charged in connection with a 2020 attack on a military checkpoint resumed in Cote d’Ivoire’s Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday.

The defendants are accused of participating in or assisting the attack that killed 14 soldiers at Kafolo, on the border with Burkina Faso.

They include the alleged leader of the unit that carried out that assault and the father of an alleged perpetrator who is accused of helping his son flee.

Authorities are hoping the trial will help them better understand the activities and recruitment networks of jihadist groups in the region.

The Kafolo attack came weeks after Ivorian and Burkinabe security forces destroyed a jihadist base in Alidougou, Burkina Faso.

Despite ongoing security threats in the West Africa region, political stability and economic growth have largely kept jihadist groups at bay in Cote d’Ivoire, according to the International Crisis Group.

The hearing was adjourned and will resume on 19 January.