Gunman kills 100 civilians in northern Burkina Faso

The gunmen killed about 100 civilians in an attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso. This is the latest serious incident in a violent attack on this landlocked West African country that has continued for years. Thousands of people were killed, more than 100. Thousands of people have been displaced.

The government described the gunmen as terrorists and stated that they attacked Sol Khan near the Niger border late on Friday night, burning houses and local markets.

“The national defense and security forces are working hard to find and eliminate the perpetrators of this despicable act,” said President Roch Kabore. “We must stay united and fight against these evil forces together.”

No organization claimed responsibility for the attack, but local organizations associated with the Islamic State and Al-Qaida have increased their attacks on the area since the beginning of this year.

Last year, violent incidents in Burkina Faso declined sharply due to an informal ceasefire before the November elections. But analysts said that the truce has since broken down.

A month ago, at least 30 people were killed by gunmen in nearby Kolydel. The border area on the border of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has become the center of extremist activities and the focus of the anti-terrorism effort in the Sahel led by the 5000-person crescent dune operation in France.

France intervened in the area in 2013 to suppress the jihadist rebellion that occupied northern Mali. Despite the 13,000-person UN peacekeeping mission and thousands of French and domestic soldiers, the violence has since spread to central Mali, to Niger and Burkina Faso, where there has been a sharp collapse, and large areas have been separated from the government. control.

In addition to violence, the region is experiencing a period of severe political instability, which may affect the fight against jihadistism.France suspended joint operations with the Malian army this week Second coup In less than a year.

In April, Chad, another key ally in the battle—whose soldiers are considered the most experienced and effective in the region—in its strongman leader Idris Derby Killed by the rebels.

The military quickly appointed his son as interim president, but the question remains how much conflict between Chad’s allies will occur within the military’s top ranks.