By HeadlineNews.News Correspondent
Tensions are intensifying across West Africa as targeted attacks on Fulani communities surge in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, leading to widespread displacement and raising alarms of a broader regional crisis. The growing hostilities are increasingly marked by retaliatory violence, political agitation, and deepening ethnic fault lines.
Burkina Faso: Allegations of State-Linked Violence
In Burkina Faso, credible reports from humanitarian groups and independent observers have pointed to deadly assaults on Fulani civilians, allegedly carried out by government-backed militias under the guise of counterinsurgency operations. While the Burkinabé authorities have vehemently denied any state involvement, eyewitness accounts and footage shared with international media paint a grim picture of coordinated ethnic violence.
Local sources confirm that entire Fulani villages have been razed, with survivors forced to flee to neighboring Mali or seek refuge in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps under dire conditions. Human rights organizations have called for independent investigations and urgent intervention by the African Union and ECOWAS.
Mali and Niger: Guilt by Association?
In Mali and Niger, the situation remains equally dire. Fulani communities are increasingly targeted by vigilante groups and civilian militias who accuse them of harboring or supporting Islamist insurgents. Though some Fulani individuals have joined extremist groups—often driven by poverty, marginalization, or coercion—entire communities now face collective punishment.
Mass evictions, lynchings, and arson attacks have become commonplace, pushing thousands into exile and creating a humanitarian emergency. Analysts warn that without immediate reconciliation efforts and protection guarantees, the cycle of violence will only deepen, feeding extremist recruitment and regional instability.
Nigeria: A Brewing Storm
Meanwhile, Nigeria faces its own rising tensions as ethnic and political divisions echo the turmoil in its neighbors. In recent weeks, a controversial group known as the Hausawa Tsantsa Development Association (HTDA), led by activist Hajiya Kaltum Alumbe Jitami, has stirred national debate with incendiary rhetoric targeting the Fulani population.
Using platforms such as Jaruma Hausa TV 24, Jitami has galvanized a growing following across Northern Nigeria, particularly among disaffected Hausa youths. Branding herself the “Mother of the Hausa Nation,” she accuses Fulani elites of hijacking Hausa political power, manipulating religious institutions, and entrenching a system of marginalization under the guise of a shared Islamic identity.
In an especially provocative statement, she cursed revered Islamic reformer Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, blaming him for the overthrow of peaceful Hausa monarchies and the establishment of what she described as a “Fulani oligarchy” that continues to dominate Northern Nigeria to this day.
She further accused the Emir of Sokoto, HRM Sa’ad Abubakar, and other Northern leaders of complicity in fostering terrorism, banditry, and religious violence through their silence and covert support. Declaring that “Fulanis are not true Muslims,” she denounced atrocities allegedly committed in mosques and villages under the banner of Islam.
A Call for Hausa Sovereignty
Jitami’s movement has now transcended religious boundaries. She has urged Hausas of all faiths—Muslims, Christians, and traditionalists—to unite in reclaiming their ancestral identity and resisting what she describes as a Fulani-driven agenda to impose Sharia law nationwide. She has publicly labeled Miyyeti Allah, a powerful Fulani pastoralist group, as a “terrorist organization” responsible for land grabs and bloodshed.
Though controversial, her rhetoric has found resonance among segments of the population, with growing crowds referring to her as “Maama” and hailing her as a voice for the marginalized. However, security analysts warn that such divisive language could inflame already fragile interethnic relations in states where Hausa and Fulani communities have coexisted for generations.
Regional Consequences
The escalation of anti-Fulani sentiment and retaliatory violence risks spilling over into Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Sudan, all of which have large Fulani populations. Experts fear the weaponization of ethnic identity could provoke large-scale displacement, communal clashes, and even ethnic cleansing.
The United Nations, African Union, and regional stakeholders are being urged to act swiftly to mediate tensions, investigate allegations of state-backed violence, and protect vulnerable communities.
Conclusion
As West Africa confronts mounting ethnic strife, the plight of the Fulani—whether victims of insurgency, scapegoats for state failure, or pawns in a political chess game—demands urgent attention. Without a concerted push for justice, inclusivity, and reconciliation, the region risks sliding deeper into chaos.
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Dr Imran Khasaly
Headlinenews.news
