The trial of 45 people charged in connection with a June 2020 attack on a military checkpoint in Kafolo, Côte d’Ivoire, resumed on Monday in the country’s Anti-Terrorism Court.
The defendants are accused of participating in or assisting the attack, which killed 14 soldiers at the checkpoint on the border with Burkina Faso. The accused include the alleged leader of the unit that carried out the assault and the father of an alleged perpetrator, who is charged with helping his son flee.
A government spokesperson stated that authorities hope the trial will help them better understand the activities and recruitment networks of jihadist groups in the region.
The Kafolo attack occurred weeks after Ivorian and Burkinabè security forces destroyed a jihadist base in Alidougou, Burkina Faso.
According to the International Crisis Group, political stability and economic growth have largely kept jihadist groups at bay in Côte d’Ivoire, despite ongoing security threats in the West Africa region.