06/22/2022 Burkina Faso (International Christian Concern) – This past Saturday, more than 100 people were killed in an attack by extremists in northern Burkina Faso. The violence occurred in the Seytanga district, near the border with Niger. The exact death toll is still disputed, with some sources saying it could be as high as 165. The group responsible for the attack is still unknown, but it is likely the Islamic State or al-Qaeda who have been conducting attacks in the area.
More than 3,000 people fled to the nearby region of Dori after the attack. A survivor of the attack described the scene to the Christian Post in a statement, “The terrorists came into the town on Saturday, market day. They opened fire as soon as they entered.”
The survivor continued, “They only aimed at men. They went from shop to shop, sometimes torching it. They opened fire on anyone who tried to run away. They stayed in the town all night.”
79 bodies have been recovered from the attack so far, according to reports published on Tuesday. The attack is part of a larger insurgency effort that has been going on since 2016. An estimated 2 million people have been displaced since its start, with a fifty percent increase in displacements happening in 2021, according to a UN report.
A government spokesman, Lionel Bilgo, reported on Monday that the attack was “retaliation for the army’s actions, which caused bloodshed” for the extremist groups.
The United Nations and European Union condemned the attack and advocated for a further investigation. The UN said in a statement that the attackers “claimed many victims.”
Concerns about the rising insecurity in Burkina have led to many protests and the January military coup, which replaced President Rock Kabore with Paul-Henri Damiba.
Please pray for an end to the violence in Burkina Faso.
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