Ouagadougou: Multiple attacks across Burkina Faso have claimed the lives of soldiers, pro-government militiamen, and civilians, highlighting the deteriorating security situation under the military-led administration.
According to security sources who spoke to Reuters, a military base in Djibo, located in the northern part of the country, came under assault on Sunday morning. The attackers also targeted a local police station and a nearby market. The sources, requesting anonymity due to fear of government retaliation, stated that the full casualty count was still unclear.
“Many of our men have fallen, soldiers as well as (militia) fighters. Arms have also been taken. On the population side too, there were many losses in human life,” one of the sources said.
The Djibo base has been repeatedly targeted in the past. In October 2022, 10 soldiers were killed and 50 wounded in a similar attack, according to an army statement issued at the time. No group has claimed responsibility for the recent assault, but the region is known for the presence of Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-affiliated militant group.
In the southern province of Koulpelogo, violence erupted over several days starting last Thursday. Armed groups attacked the villages of Bousgou, Salemboare, and Yonde, leaving at least 58 civilians dead, according to Segda Bila, a member of the committee responsible for the burials.
Burkina Faso has been under the rule of Captain Ibrahim Traoré since 2022, following a military coup. He had vowed to counter the jihadist insurgency that has gripped the region since it began in Mali over a decade ago. Despite his pledge, militant violence remains widespread across the country.
Also Read | India Expels Pakistani Diplomat Over Undisclosed Activities, Orders Departure Within 24 Hours
Human rights concerns have also mounted. On Monday, Human Rights Watch alleged that the Burkinabe army “participated in the massacre of more than 130, possibly many more, ethnic Fulani civilians” in collaboration with pro-government militia fighters in the Boucle du Mouhoun region in March. A government spokesperson had previously dismissed images of the massacre circulating online, labeling them as part of a “disinformation campaign” aimed at disrupting social harmony.
As of Monday, the Burkinabe government had not issued a statement in response to the latest attacks or the renewed allegations of human rights violations.
