Crossroads of Conflict
Series made during 2024 for The Washington Post, with journalist Rachel Chason
The series include 6 portraits : a jihadist who signed on with the al-Qaeda affiliate as it enlarged its domain in Mali and Niger but who grew troubled by its excesses, and a pro-junta militiaman in Burkina Faso who took up arms against the extremists but can no longer sleep at night because of the campaign’s brutality. They also include a Russian mercenary who has seen for himself the difference that the Wagner Group’s prowess can make in Africa, and a U.S. Army major who remained determined to carry out her mission in Niger even as its government was overthrown. And they are people like a young military officer who seized power in a coup vowing to do whatever it takes to promote his nation’s sovereignty, and a besieged Malian journalist who continues advocating for democracy even as his colleagues have been jailed or exiled.
You can read more here about how we reported these stories.
