Up to 200 people killed in attack in central Burkina Faso
Up to 200 people killed in attack in central Burkina Faso
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an armed group linked to al-Qaeda, claims responsibility for the attack.
Fighters opened fire on teams of people digging trenches designed to protect security outposts. Several soldiers were missing after the attack, and the attackers took weapons and a military ambulance.
Reporting from Dakar, Senegal, Al Jazeera’s Nicholas Haque said JNIM posted gruesome videos of the aftermath of the attack.
“We see men, women and children laying inside the trenches they were digging themselves. Effectively, they have turned into mass graves,” he said, adding that the hospital in the area has called doctors, nurses and other medical staff from Kaya to treat those who have been injured in the attack.
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For everyone who also had no idea this country exists:
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,878 sq mi), bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. As of 2021, the country had an estimated population of 23,674,480. Previously called the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), it was renamed Burkina Faso by President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabè, and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.
Source: Wikipedia
My father-in-law is from Burkina, and his family, including my brother-in-law, still live there. The rejection of ECOWAS and the alliance with Mali and Niger is popular, owing mostly to what I'd describe as a general anti colonialist and, particularly, anti French sentiment, which I suppose is understandable.
The article talks about how the countries have rejected French military aid, but the overwhelming opinion I hear from any of the expats I talk with is that the French were only there to protect their mineral interests and provided minimal aid outside of that.
Ultimately, the combined military power of all three nations is not enough to fend off the insurgency. They are further hampered by inter-ethnic conflict, and I very much doubt that Russia will be able to provide any meaningful support, especially for free. This all leads to intense civilian suffering which, in my opinion, requires UN intervention. Unfortunately unless the military junta suddenly reverses its opinion on western influence, this is unlikely to happen.
Both my partner and I learned of a new country today.
Yeah also probably the largest and bloodiest conflict going on today
Yeah, I posted this because the headline got me confused.
I knew 5 out of 6 of their neighbours, but I didn't know about Burkina Faso, not even under their old name. I'm afraid to find out how many more African countries I'm missing.