Until recently, Burkina Faso was relatively safe from terrorism. This changed in April 2015, when terrorists abducted a Romanian mining company worker in the northern part of the country and killed a security officer. Since then, as in West Africa more generally, violent extremism has become prevelant. There is no single factor that accounts for violent extremism and terrorism in Burkina Faso. Tackling these challenges requires pathways that are multi dimensional in approach and take cognisance of local socio-economic and political context and transnational realities.