An attack on 24 August 2024 by fighters of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-aligned jihadist organization, killed hundreds of civilians who dug trenches as well as members of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces[5][1] in the Barsalogho Department of northern Burkina Faso. The attack is part of an ongoing jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso and the Sahel.[6][2] It is the deadliest attack in the country's history.[7]
| 2024 Barsalogho attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Islamist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |
 Location of Barsalogho Department in Sanmatenga Province, Burkina Faso | |
| Location | Barsalogho, Barsalogho Department, Burkina Faso |
| Coordinates | 13°24′54″N 1°3′23″W / 13.41500°N 1.05639°W |
| Date | 24 August 2024 |
| Target | Burkinabè soldiers and civilians |
Attack type | Gunfire |
| Deaths | 600+[1][2][3] |
| Injured | 300+[4] |
| Perpetrator |  Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin |
Background
editSince August 2015, a civil conflict between the government of Burkina Faso and Islamist rebels has killed at least 10,000 civilians and combatants and displaced more than 2 million people. Almost half of Burkina Faso's territory is in the hands of al-Qaeda-linked terrorists.[6] The war is part of the wider insurgency in the Sahel.[8][9][10]
In August 2024, jihadists began to close in on the Barsalogho Department city of Kaya, which represented the last defensive line between the terrorists and Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou. In anticipation of an attack, the Burkina Faso Armed Forces recruited nearby residents to dig defensive trenches around the town of Barsalogho, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the north of Kaya.[6]
Attack
editOn 24 August 2024, from 09:00 to 16:00,[4] a group of JNIM terrorists opened fire on soldiers and townspeople who were digging defensive trenches for the army and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)[5]—a civilian armed group that supports the Burkinabe military.[11] Hundreds of people were killed, while many wounded people were taken to a hospital in Kaya. Most of the victims were young residents of the town who helped soldiers dig trenches.[2][12] Local officials and members of the VDP were also among the casualties.[11] The attackers captured several weapons and an ambulance used by the Burkinabe military.[6] Survivors of the attack and relatives of the dead said that members of the military fled during the assault.[1] On 27 August, sources told Reuters that the attack had likely killed at least 400 or 500 people;[2] a French government security assessment acquired by CNN in October concluded that up to 600 people had been killed in the attack.[1] Burkinabe soldiers, auxiliaries, and air support responded to the attack, reportedly killing several terrorists and limiting further Burkinabe casualties.[11][12]
Aftermath
editAfter the attack, JNIM released several videos of the bodies of those killed.[6] The group's leader, Iyad Ag Ghaly, claimed that it had taken control of a militia headquarters in Barsalogho.[13] The JNIM killed people in the trenches where they were digging in an effort to turn them into mass graves, and said that the army ordered civilians to dig military trenches in an apparent act of desperation to counter the jihadists' advances.[6]
On 23 September, the Burkinabe government stated that it had discovered a three-stage plot to destabilise the country “with the help of foreign powers” and individuals based in Ivory Coast. It also claimed that the attack in Barsalogho was the first phase of the plot.[14]
Reactions
editJNIM issued a statement claiming that they had not killed civilians but militia members working for the army.[15]
Families of the victims of the attack, issuing a statement under the advocacy group Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho (English: Justice Collective for Barsalogho), accused the Burkinabe government of leaving the victims vulnerable to the attack by forcing them to dig trenches. They called for an investigation into who had given them the orders to do so.[16][15]
The attack was condemned by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres,[17] the European Union,[18] Malian president Assimi Goïta,[18] and Pope Francis.[19]
Human Rights Watch accused the Burkinabe government of putting civilians at risk in the attack through its reliance on the VDP.[20]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Vandoorne, Saskya; Walsh, Nick Paton; Mezzofiore, Gianluca (4 October 2024). "Massacre in Burkina Faso left 600 dead, double previous estimates, according to French security assessment". CNN. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Christensen, Sofia (27 August 2024). "Suspected jihadists kill hundreds in Burkina Faso attack". Reuters. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ Singh, Satyam (5 October 2024). "Over 600 Killed in Burkina Faso Massacre: Report". NewsX. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Burkina Faso: l'hôpital de Kaya confronté à l'urgence après le massacre de samedi" [Burkina Faso: Kaya hospital faces emergency after Saturday's massacre] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b Fröhlich, Silja; Mwanamilongo, Saleh (27 August 2024). "Burkina Faso vows 'determined response' against terrorists". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Up to 200 people killed in attack in central Burkina Faso". Al Jazeera. 25 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Le Cam, Morgane (5 September 2024). "Le Burkina Faso a subi l'attaque terroriste la plus meurtrière de son histoire" [Burkina Faso has suffered the deadliest terrorist attack in its history]. Le Monde. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Burkina Faso: une gendarmerie attaquée près de la frontière malienne" [Burkina Faso: Gendarmerie attacked near Malian border] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 9 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Le Burkina Faso va renforcer la sécurité de ses postes de police frontaliers" [Burkina Faso to strengthen security at border police posts] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Decade of Sahel conflict leaves 2.5 million people displaced" (Press release). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Dozens Killed In Latest Militants' Attack In Burkina Faso". Sahara Reporters. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "'Terrorists' kill dozens in Burkina Faso". Le Monde. Agence France-Presse. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Le Cam, Morgane (27 August 2024). "At least 100 civilians killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Burkina Faso's history". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Burkina Faso's ruling junta claims foiling an attempt to destabilize the country". Associated Press. 25 September 2024.
- ^ a b Lewis, David (29 August 2024). "Al Qaeda branch says it killed 300 fighters, not civilians, in Burkina Faso attack". Reuters. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Burkina victims' families criticize army over massacre". Voice of America. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Guterres strongly condemns Burkina Faso terror attack; hundreds killed and injured". United Nations. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ a b Tasamba, James (29 August 2024). "EU expresses concern over deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Christensen, Sofia (3 September 2024). "Burkina Faso junta faces outcry after militants kill scores in Barsalogho". Reuters. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Christensen, Sofia (29 October 2024). "Burkina Faso put civilians at 'unnecessary risk' during militant attack, rights group says". Associated Press. Retrieved 29 October 2024.