OPINION:
On September 9, jihadist militants launched a coordinated assault on several Christian villages in Burkina Faso, resulting in one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history. Heavily armed Islamists killed 200, burned homes, looted properties, and forced thousands to flee, leaving a trail of devastation.
Yet, this attack, like so many others, received scant attention in the Western press. Why? Because the big picture is often missing.
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A broader conflict in the Sahel
Simply put, a vast swath of Africa, called the Sahel, has fallen under the control of ISIS and Al Qaeda-linked groups. The Sahel is a vast region stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. It lies just south of the Sahara Desert and encompasses some of Africa’s most fragile states, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and northern Nigeria.
For many Westerners, this conflict is almost invisible because it is being fought in numerous countries, each with its own unique ethnic and political tensions. Also, the jihad is being fought by a word-salad array of groups with different affiliations, allegiances, and strategies. Groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), Ansaroul Islam, and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) frequently appear in reports, with overlapping memberships and shared tactics.
The hidden hand
Perhaps the most overlooked yet crucial aspect of this conflict is the hidden role of the Fulani tribe. The Fulani have gained notoriety, particularly for their involvement in Nigeria’s ongoing slow-moving anti-Christian genocide. Fulani militants have murdered up to 100,000 Christians there and stolen millions of Christian-owned farms across central and northern Nigeria. However, their violence extends far beyond Nigeria’s borders.
The Fulani are a transnational ethnic group spread across the northern third of Africa. Their geographic distribution closely mirrors the areas most affected by the ongoing Islamist insurgency in the Sahel. Even more revealing is their significant presence in several key Islamist organizations, including some of the most dangerous groups operating in the region today.
Fulani history: The Sokoto Caliphate
To understand the Fulani’s role in these jihadist movements, we must first look at their history, particularly the founding of the Sokoto Caliphate in the early 19th century. The caliphate, founded by Fulani religious leader Usman dan Fodio, became one of the largest empires in West Africa, covering parts of modern-day Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad. It was built on the principles of radical Islam and aimed to purify and restore the practice of Islam in the region.
Born in 1754 in present-day Nigeria, Usman Dan Fodio was deeply concerned about the perceived corruption and laxity in Islamic observance among the Hausa rulers of the time. In 1804, he declared jihad against these rulers, accusing them of deviating from Islamic principles. Within a few years, his movement gained widespread support among the Fulani and other marginalized groups, resulting in the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate in 1808. The caliphate was organized into emirates, each governed by an emir appointed by the caliph. It implemented Sharia law and emphasized Islamic education, often through the memorization of the Quran. Its success was largely based on its military power, which helped to enforce the caliphate’s laws and maintain control over its vast territories. The Sokoto Caliphate was not only a religious and political entity but also a militant empire built on the principles of jihad.
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More Fulani jihadist history
The Fulani’s infatuation with jihad predates the Sokoto Caliphate. Their earliest recorded involvement in jihadist activity dates back to the late 17th century in Bundu, present-day Senegal. By 1690, the Fulani had established a political state in Bundu, setting a precedent for future jihadist movements.
One of the earliest large-scale uprisings led by the Fulani occurred in 1725 in Futa Jallon (present-day Guinea). Supported by Muslim traders, Fulani pastoralists rose against indigenous chiefdoms, leading to the establishment of the Imamate of Futa Jallon by 1750. Governed by Sharia law, Futa Jallon became a model for subsequent Fulani jihadist movements.
Similarly, the Fulani in the lower Senegal region launched a jihadist movement between 1769 and 1776, which led to the formation of the Imamate of Futa Toro. Like Futa Jallon, this state was governed by Islamic principles and aimed to purify Islam in the region.
Another significant Fulani-led jihadist movement occurred in Massina, in present-day Mali, in 1818. A Fulani religious leader named Seku Amadu declared jihad, establishing the Massina Empire. Like previous Fulani-led jihadist states, the Massina Empire was governed by Sharia law and played a significant role in the spread of Islam across West Africa.
Modern Fulani Jihadist activity across the Sahel
In the last 20 years, the Sahel and Nigeria have seen a dramatic increase in Islamist violence, with the Fulani playing a disproportionately large role in the conflict. Though the motivations behind their involvement are complex and varied, including simple greed, the primary driver remains jihad. What we are seeing today is a continuation of the Fulani’s long history of religiously motivated violence. Several key militant groups in the Sahel have a significant Fulani presence. The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) is one such group. Though not exclusively Fulani, ISWAP has recruited heavily from Fulani communities and maintains strong ties to Fulani leaders. Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) is another important group, formed in 2017 as a coalition of several militant factions, including the Fulani-led Macina Liberation Front (FLM). JNIM has carried out numerous attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Ansaroul Islam, founded by Fulani preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko, operates in northern Burkina Faso and has been responsible for numerous attacks on both military and civilian targets, contributing significantly to regional instability. The group’s activities have created a humanitarian crisis, exacerbating intercommunal violence, displacing thousands of people, and plunging the region into greater chaos.
The recent attack in Burkina Faso serves as more than a singular tragedy — it is an alarm calling for a nuanced and updated Western strategy to confront the rising tide of jihadism across the Sahel. But this jihad cannot be fully understood or countered without recognizing the historical and strategic role of the Fulani. Their involvement in jihadist movements is deeply rooted in history, and their influence continues to shape the current conflict in the region.
The Fulani’s hidden leadership and influence within these militant groups remain pivotal. Unless the West uncovers and addresses the intricate networks they have built, any intervention will only be superficial. The “hidden hand” of the Fulani remains the key to either continued chaos or the potential for peace. By prioritizing an in-depth understanding of their role, Western nations can begin to dismantle the Jihad that has destabilized the region.
Without this critical lens, the Sahel risks becoming an entrenched battlefield where the violence of radical Islam perpetuates, humanitarian crises worsen, and hope for stability continues to slip further away.
The path to peace runs through the shadowy network of Fulani leadership, and until this network is fully understood, the region will continue to unravel and lead us into a deeper conflict.
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Jeff King has served as ICC President since 2003 and is one of the world’s top experts on religious persecution. He has advocated for the persecuted everywhere, testifying before the U.S. Congress on religious freedom. He has been interviewed or quoted by most of today’s leading media outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and The Washington Times. He is a three-time author and is available as a guest speaker. To learn more, go to the Jeff King Blog.
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