Extremist group turns Sahel highways into 'roads of death'

Al-Qaeda and its affiliates have transformed the Sahel's major highways into killing fields, with 70% of violent incidents and 65% of deaths in North and West Africa occurring within just one kilometer of roads, according to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The strategic targeting of these corridors has turned vital routes in the Central Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and western Cameroon into centers of violence where ambushes, kidnappings, roadside bombings, and highway destruction have become routine.

In recent years, transport networks that were once seen as drivers of regional connectivity and economic growth have been exploited by terrorist groups to stage attacks, control movement, and spread insecurity, the OECD report noted.

"Highways and transport infrastructure in most West African countries have been primary targets for al-Qaeda," said Herat-based military analyst Mohammad Nasim Haidari.

"The group's goal is to halt trade and economic growth while instilling fear among travelers," he told Salaam Times. "By destabilizing major roads, al-Qaeda seeks to weaken local governments and isolate cities."

The group has effectively paralyzed Sahelian transport routes, turning them into "roads of death" to showcase its power, Haidari added.

These lifelines have suffered relentless attacks, inflicting severe hardship on both governments and local communities, he said.

Profit-driven terror

Al-Qaeda's aim in destabilizing highways goes beyond killing. It also profits from kidnappings and looting, said Nimruz-based military analyst Hamza Baloch. "Economic gain is a key motive behind al-Qaeda's insecurity campaigns along Sahelian roads."

Most of these crimes remain unreported due to limited media coverage, Baloch told Salaam Times.

Al-Qaeda often retaliates against civilians following military setbacks or local resistance, showing no distinction between military and civilian targets, he added.

Most victims of attacks in Africa and beyond have been innocent civilians killed as al-Qaeda sought to assert its power, he said.

Civilian toll

Among the deadliest attacks, gunmen from Ansaroul Islam ambushed a civilian convoy between Dori and Arbinda in northeastern Burkina Faso on August 18, 2021, killing an estimated 135 people.

Another major attack followed in December of the same year, when fighters from Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) targeted a convoy of market traders in Burkina Faso's Nord Region, leaving 41 civilians dead.

Security forces have been countering these activities through military operations, including a 2022 Nigerian patrol in the Lake Chad region that killed 30 Boko Haram fighters along a public highway north of Abuja.

In January 2023, Burkinabe forces rescued 66 women and children abducted by extremists while gathering wild fruit near Arbinda, marking another significant success in ongoing counterterrorism efforts.