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Gunmen killed about 100 civilians in an attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, the latest tragic event in the years of non-violence that have plagued the West African country without land, leaving thousands dead and displacing more than 1 meter.
The government described the gunmen as terrorists and said late Friday night that they had attacked Solhan near the Niger border, burning houses and the local market.
“Defense and security forces are working to find and neutralize the perpetrators of this reprehensible act,” President Roch Kabore said. “We need to be united and united against these forces of evil.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but local groups linked to Isis and al-Qaeda have stepped up attacks in the region since the beginning of the year.
Last year, violence in Burkina Faso plummeted as a result of an unofficial ceasefire ahead of elections in November. Analysts have said the truce has been breached since then.
The attack took place a month after at least 30 people were killed by gunmen in nearby Kolydel. The border region where Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet has become a site of extreme activity, and the focus of the counter-terrorism effort in the Sahel is on the Sahel, led by Operation 5,000 French troops Barkhane.
France intervened in the region in 2013, taking northern Mali to crush the jihadist insurgency. Despite 13,000 UN peacekeeping missions and thousands of French and domestic troops, violence has since spread to central Mali, with the collapse of Niger and Burkina Faso, a major collapse that has left large areas out of government control.
In addition to violence, the region is experiencing severe political instability, which could have an impact on the fight against jihadism. This week France suspended operations with the Malian army second blow in less than a year.
In April, another key ally in the fight, Chad – whose soldiers are believed to be the most experienced and effective in the region – was hit by its powerful leader. Idriss Deby killed by rebels.
The military quickly installed his son as interim president, but doubts remain as to how the conflict will be handled by an ally of Chad in the top positions of the military.
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