Over 27 people were killed in Burkina Faso on Saturday and Sunday. Suspected jihadists in two separate attacks targeted civilians in the north and northwest of the strife-torn nation.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, “armed individuals attacked civilians in Bourasso, a locality near Dédougou”, the capital of the province of Kossi, said a security source.
“There are about 15 victims (dead), men, women and children”, according to a provisional assessment.
According to Agence France-Presse, a local source confirmed the attack, mentioning “about twenty dead”.
“The gunmen first went around at around 5 pm (local time) in the village firing shots in the air. They came back later in the night and opened fire indiscriminately on the people,” the resident said.
Another deadly attack was carried out in Namissiguima in the northern province of Yatenga on Saturday according to another security source.
“The death toll from this attack was 12, including three Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP),” said the source, who also mentioned waves of population displacement since Sunday.
Armed jihadist movements affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State groups are in conflict with the ruling government of Burkina Faso since 2015. The discord has left thousands dead and 1.9 million displaced.
Official figures say that about 40 per cent of the country is outside the control of the government.
In January this year, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba overthrew President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and made restoration of normalcy and security his top “priority”. Kaboré was accused of being unable to curb jihadist violence.
With deadly attacks still being carried out with impunity, it is evident that the security situation in Burkina Faso has not improved.
