In the tragic event in Burkina Faso:
Nearly 100 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in a massacre in the village of Zaongo, located in the north-central region of Burkina Faso.The village of Zaongo is situated about 60 kilometers from the city of Boulsa, and the atrocity occurred with no immediate evidence of the perpetrators.Burkina Faso is currently under military rule following a coup d’etat in July 2022. The military junta, which took control, has prioritized security but faces challenges in curbing Islamist groups responsible for multiple civilian casualties.
The country has been a focal point of violence spreading across the Sahel region, with Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State carrying out attacks.Amnesty International has noted that large parts of Burkina Faso are “under siege by armed groups,” committing war crimes and human rights abuses.The recent attack has drawn condemnation from the US government and the European Union, both calling on Burkina Faso’s transitional authorities to investigate and determine those responsible for the massacre.
This incident follows previous attacks in the country, including one in April where 44 people were killed in separate villages, and another in the same month where 136 people were killed in a similar assault on a village in the same region, carried out by armed men in military uniform.The EU, in its statement, expressed full solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso, recognizing them as the first victims of the deteriorating security situation in the country.
