Framing the jihadi insurgency: state and NGO labelling strategies and their influence on conflict dynamics in Burkina Faso and Niger

by Claude Biao

ABSTRACT

Critical Terrorism Studies (CTS) scholars largely agree on the political significance of the “terrorism” label, even though the extent of that political significance and its impact on local insurgency dynamics is subject to debate. The jihadi insurgency in Sahel countries has received limited attention in this scholarly debate. That limited attention is rather an anomaly, given the intensity of jihadi organisations’ activities in the region. This article offers a systematic analysis of the labelling strategies of Burkina Faso and Niger governments, as well as non-profit organisations, in response to the jihadi insurgency in the Sahel. Using a discourse analysis methodology on a corpus comprised of 504 reports, speeches, and official statements by government authorities and NGOs in Burkina Faso and Niger, this article demonstrates that the labelling strategy of the two countries instrumentalises labels within the existential threat, the marginal security issues, and the dehumanisation of jihadi organisations themes, to introduce escalating framings serving their political agendas. Conversely, non-profit actors tend to “neutralise” the predominantly negative labels to preserve their ability to access and support affected communities. This study also calls for further research into the labelling practices of other relevant actors, including affected communities and the jihadi groups, to deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between labels and conflict developments in the region.

KEYWORDS: labelling theory, jihadi terrorism, Sahel, conflict narratives