A total of 170 people, including women and children, have been reported as “executed” in attacks targeting three villages in Burkina Faso, according to a statement by a public prosecutor, Aly Benjamin Coulibaly. The villages of Komsilga, Nordin, and Soro were subjected to these attacks, prompting Coulibaly to appeal for witnesses to assist in locating the perpetrators. The assaults, which occurred in Yatenga province on 25 February, are under investigation.
AFP news agency confirmed that numerous women and children were among the deceased, although the responsible group behind the attacks remains unidentified. These incidents appear unrelated to recent violence, such as assaults on religious sites and military installations, recorded in other parts of Burkina Faso.
The military has cautioned against an elevated threat of Islamist attacks, including urban centers and security forces, urging heightened vigilance among soldiers. Burkina Faso’s ongoing insecurity has forced over two million individuals from their residences, contributing to severe humanitarian crises. The United Nations reports that a quarter of children under five suffer from stunted growth due to hunger, reflecting the dire circumstances prevalent in the country.
Despite the military’s assumption of power two years ago with pledges to combat insurgency, the violence persists. The Institute for Economics and Peace recently highlighted the central Sahel region, encompassing Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and neighboring nations, as the new epicenter of terrorism, underscoring the escalating challenges facing the region.
(AFP)