Burkina Faso: concern after the disappearance of 04 Moroccan truckers

Last Saturday, four Moroccan truck drivers disappeared while crossing a particularly unstable border zone between Burkina Faso and Niger, according to Moroccan diplomatic sources and a transport union.

The three trucks, one of which carried a reserve driver, were traveling without escort from Dori, in Burkina Faso, to Téra, in Niger. This region is regularly the target of armed Islamist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have significantly contributed to the destabilization of the Sahel over the past ten years.

The Moroccan embassy in Burkina Faso announced that it was working closely with local authorities to find the drivers. In this area where insecurity is omnipresent, the Burkinabe authorities generally organize escorted convoys to protect transporters. However, the Moroccan trucks left without protection after waiting a week to benefit from an escort, said El Charki El Hamchi, secretary general of the Moroccan transport union.

These vehicles, loaded with infrastructure equipment, had left Casablanca several weeks ago towards Niger. Mr. El Hamchi stressed the need to strengthen the security of transporters operating in these high-risk areas, particularly at a time when trade involving Moroccan trucks is increasing in the Sahel region.

He also recalled that at the beginning of the month, another Moroccan convoy was attacked on the border between Mali and Mauritania. Although there were no casualties in the attack, it illustrates the continuing dangers facing carriers in this volatile region. The search for the missing drivers continues, as the case highlights growing security challenges in the Sahel.