Rampant jihadists are spreading chaos and misery in the Sahel

“The jihadists killed our neighbour,” whispers a 12-year-old Burkinabe girl, staring at the ground. “His children were my friends.” Her family fled their village immediately afterwards but are still not safe. Jihadists frequently strike nearby. At the local school, three low-slung concrete buildings in a dusty expanse, children regularly practise what to do if terrorists attack. Hundreds of previously smiling kids suddenly pull the window shutters and doors closed and dive under their desks in near total silence.