An armed group associated with al-Qaeda, known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a devastating attack in central Burkina Faso that reportedly left up to 200 dead and at least 140 injured.
The attack occurred on Saturday in the Barsalogho region, approximately 40 kilometers north of Kaya, a strategically significant town that analysts say serves as the last defense line before the capital, Ouagadougou.
According to reports from Al Jazeera, the attackers targeted workers who were digging trenches intended to protect security outposts. Several soldiers went missing after the assault, and the group seized weapons and a military ambulance during the raid.
This paper learnt that the JNIM released graphic videos showing the aftermath, with men, women, and children lying in the trenches they had been digging. These trenches tragically became their graves. Medical staff from nearby Kaya were called to assist the overwhelmed local hospital in treating the wounded.
Aljazeera highlighted the desperation of Burkina Faso’s security forces, noting that they had prior knowledge of the impending attack and had urged the local population to dig trenches. This underscores the deteriorating security situation, as the military has lost control of large swathes of territory to armed groups linked to al-Qaeda.
In recent months, Burkina Faso’s government has severed ties with Western nations, such as France, which had previously supported the country’s fight against armed groups. Instead, the government has sought assistance from Russian mercenaries to bolster its strategic and military efforts. Despite this support, the attacks appear to be edging closer to the capital.
The current military leadership, which took power in a coup in 2022, has faced several coup attempts due to dissatisfaction with handling the security crisis.
Burkina Faso has been grappling with violence for over a decade, with armed groups causing the deaths of thousands and displacing more than two million people. The country has recently topped the Norwegian Refugee Council’s list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises, with over 8,400 people killed in the violence last year alone—double the number from the previous year.
