200 People Killed in Attack in Central Burkina Faso
An armed group linked to al-Qaeda, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed up to 200 people and injured at least 140 in central Burkina Faso. The attack occurred on Saturday in the Barsalogho region, approximately 25 miles north of the strategic town of Kaya, which is home to the last standing force protecting the capital, Ouagadougou.
Fighters opened fire on teams of people digging trenches designed to protect security outposts, and several soldiers are missing. The attackers took weapons and a military ambulance. Gruesome videos of the aftermath show men, women, and children lying in the trenches they were digging, effectively turning them into mass graves.
The Burkina Faso army had prior knowledge of the attack and called on the population to dig trenches, showing the desperation of the country’s forces, who have lost control of half their territory to armed groups linked to al-Qaeda.
Burkina Faso has severed ties with Western countries like France, which had been involved in helping the country’s security forces tackle armed groups. Recently, the government has called on Russian mercenary fighters for support. Despite this, attacks are getting closer to the capital.
The country’s military leaders, who came to power in a coup in 2022, have faced attempted coups due to discontent with their handling of the fight against armed groups. Armed groups have killed thousands and displaced over two million in Burkina Faso over the past decade, making it the most neglected displacement crisis in the world. Last year, the violence killed over 8,400 people, double the number from the previous year.
