A court in Ivory Coast has handed down life sentences to six people for their roles in a 2020 jihadist attack that left 14 soldiers dead at a border post, a lawyer said on Tuesday.
The attack happened at a military facility near the border, one of several assaults that have plagued the West African nation as jihadist groups expand their operations across the Sahel region. Ivory Coast, long considered relatively stable compared to its neighbours, has faced a spike in militant violence over the past four years.
The six convicts were found guilty of involvement in planning or executing the strike. Details about their specific roles remain unclear, but the lawyer confirmed the court found sufficient evidence to link them to the operation. Life sentences in Ivory Coast typically mean imprisonment until death, though some prisoners may become eligible for parole after serving 20 years.
The 2020 attack underscored the security challenges facing Ivory Coast's military and the government's struggle to contain jihadist groups operating in the country's northern and central regions. Since then, armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS have carried out dozens of attacks on soldiers, civilians, and government installations across the Sahel, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
The convictions come as Ivory Coast's security forces continue operations against militant cells in remote areas. The government has deployed additional troops to vulnerable regions and launched joint operations with neighbouring countries to tackle the threat. However, analysts say the insurgency remains resilient, adapting tactics and shifting between locations to evade military sweeps.
The six men will serve their sentences in Ivorian prisons, where conditions are often overcrowded and difficult. Human rights groups have raised concerns about treatment of detainees in the country's detention facilities.
The court is expected to hear other cases related to jihadist activities in coming months, as investigations into militant networks continue.
