In the Sahel region close to the border with Mali, Djibo has effectively been under siege by jihadist extremists since February. When you sell five animals and go to the market you can't get a bag of food to eat. Before the violence Djibo had one of the biggest and most vital cattle markets in the Sahel and was a bustling economic hub. As a result of Djibo's blockade, the World Food Program has been unable to deliver food to the town since December and stocks are running out, said Antoine Renard, country director for the World Food Programme in Burkina Faso. At the end of April the Emir of Djibo met with Burkina Faso's top jihadist, Jafar Dicko, to negotiate lifting the siege.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 28, 2022 07:08 UTC