memories of the murder of her four sons by jihadists in her home country, Burkina Faso. In 2022, she was away from her home when the armed insurgents - who have been terrorising communities in central Burkina Faso for almost 15 years - struck. The jihadists had forcefully taken over her village, seizing cattle and land, and killing many residents - including her sons aged between 25 and 32. "They slit the throats of four of my children," she told the BBC, her body shaking as emotions overwhelmed her. "When I arrived, they were killing my fourth son." Aminata said she grabbed a knife to fight back, but was overpowered, beaten, thrown into the bush, and left with severe injuries to her head, shoulder and throat. She said her daughter got separated from her during the attack, and she has been missing since then. In 2023, Aminata fled to Nioronigué camp in neighbouring Ivory Coast, keeping the bloodied clothes from that day as a grim reminder. "I don't know how to handle my life. I have nothing," she told the BBC. At least 10,000 people have been killed in the insurgency in Burkina Faso, which also engulfs neighbouring Mali and Niger. The United Nations has described the region as the "epicentre" of global jihadist violence.

Military juntas seized power in all three countries, promising to curb the insurgency. They have moved away from their traditional allies in the West, and have turned to Russia for military aid. Although Russian forces, under the banner of its Africa Corps, have been deployed in Burkina Faso, the insurgency has persisted, with the most powerful militant group being an al-Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). (BBC)