Ivory Coast — The European Union on Wednesday condemned an attack claimed by jihadist rebels that killed dozens in Burkina Faso last weekend, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Armed men carried out the attack in the village of Barsalogho in north-central Burkina Faso on Saturday, killing dozens of civilians and security personnel and wounding others, local sources said.
A group linked to Al-Qaeda known by its Arabic initials JNIM, one of several rebel groups active in the troubled Sahel nation since 2015, claimed responsibility.
BREAKING:
New video shows Islamist terrorists killing more than 200 civilians in last week’s attack in Burkina Faso.
Some sources say the death toll of the Barsalogho attack is as high as 400.
Practically no media coverage. No student encampments & no protest marches in London pic.twitter.com/ph8mvIyLBt
— Global Peace Advocates (@RealKON_) August 28, 2024
The EU “condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack” in Barsalogho, which “left hundreds of victims, mainly civilians”, Borrell said in a statement.
The bloc “expresses its solidarity with Burkina Faso and conveys its condolences to the families of the victims and its wishes for a swift recovery to the wounded”, he added.
The insurgency waged by rebels affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State has also rocked neighbouring Mali and Niger, killing thousands and displacing millions across the region.
📣Press Release
The Humanitarian Coordinator, @CarolfloreUn is deeply saddened by the enormous loss of life, including 2 humanitarians in Barsalogho, Sanmatenga, and calls for increased support to address the humanitarian crisis in #BurkinaFaso.
More⤵️https://t.co/HLMx6fuleq pic.twitter.com/CzB2GAgZMH
— OCHA Burkina (@OCHABurkina) August 28, 2024
Borrell said the EU expressed its “strong concern amid the worsening security situation in the country and the sub-region” and encouraged efforts to avoid an escalation of violence.
UN chief Antonio Guterres also “strongly condemned the terrorist attacks”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
The military-led Burkinabe authorities have not provided a toll and have stopped announcing civilian and military casualties in jihadist attacks for about a year.
But a group representing victims’ families reported “at least 400 dead”. One of its members told AFP they helped bury victims in mass graves that contained “more than 100 bodies”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the terrorist attack in central Burkina Faso over the weekend, his spokesman said on Tuesday. The secretary-general also strongly condemned the attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Monday. #XinhuaNews pic.twitter.com/Dt0cEe5EHs
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 28, 2024
A survivor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she lost her husband and a brother-in-law and that “we haven’t finished burying the bodies”.
The UN humanitarian coordinator in Burkina Faso, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, said two humanitarian workers were among those killed.
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Source: AFP
Picture: X/@CaptWanderiCFE
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