A massacre of civilians near the Burkina Faso city of Kaya by Al Qaeda affiliated forces on the morning of August 24, 2024 leaves few survivors to tell the tale. One survivor reported to Reuters the intimate details of the event, wherein an estimated 400 people, including women and infants, were killed following a raid on the village of Barsalogho by the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (J.N.I.M.), the West African branch of Al Qaeda. As related to Reuters by a survivor, the army forced every man in town to dig trenches to protect from attackers and forced the women and younger children to cut grass and trees to improve visibility for soldiers. As told in the interview, at around 10 a.m., militants appeared and began firing indiscriminately at soldiers and civilians alike, not stopping until later in the day when drones began arriving overhead. The survivors were then left to bury the bodies of their relatives.
A spokesperson for J.N.I.M. and affiliate to Al Qaeda Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin claimed the group attacked soldiers and militia members digging trenches in the area and that all victims were soldiers, not civilians, according to Reuters. An official statement from J.N.I.M. was even more terse, as reported by the Long War Journal, where the group stated that its forces “took complete control over a Burkinabe militia headquarters in Barsalogho in Kaya Province.” A civilian group in the area, Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho, criticized the government in a statement, arguing that government officials may have reached Barsalogho but were seemingly more concerned with rallying the army than helping civilians, as related to Reuters. Al Jazeera reporter Nicholas Haque relates how J.N.I.M. posted videos of the attack showing men, women, and children laying inside the trenches being dug, further claiming that the Burkina Faso army knew an attack was imminent and forced civilians to build trenches in the area.
Though official statements claim the loss of life was in the 200s to 300s, as shown by Al Jazeera, a group of the victims’ relatives state the death toll was upwards of 400. This massacre succeeds earlier attacks in the area on February 25, 2024, in the villages of Komsilga, Nodin, and Soro in the Yatenga province, by Islamist militant groups, as related by the Human Rights Watch, showing an increasing history of violence against both military and civilian populations as part of Al Qaeda’s increased presence in the region. According to the Long War Journal, other countries in the area are fighting similar fights. Though the Ivory Coast has been able to repel J.N.I.M.’s advances, and Ghana is yet to relay any information regarding J.N.I.M. presence in the country, Benin and Togo are still struggling to fight back against J.N.I.M. forces emanating from Burkina Faso. Additionally, reports from the Long War Journal show that the regime in Burkina Faso is using ex-Wagner forces similar to its neighbor Mali to bolster defences and train troops, with the potential for Ibrahim Traoré, the leader of the current military regime in Burkina Faso, to request more Russian mercenaries. If the Kremlin were to oblige, the situation in Burkina Faso could change significantly.
The attacks on August 24th and the preceding attacks on February 25th show increased presence of the Islamist group in West Africa, which is worrisome for security in the region, as increased Islamist presence in the area could topple the already weak government of Burkina Faso. The military regime has shown that it is willing and able to use civilians, often forcefully, as part of their military forces to bolster defences and assist in war efforts. The existing V.D.P. militia that the Burkinabe state is increasingly reliant on to attempt to stifle J.N.I.M.’s advances is losing the struggle as J.N.I.M. has increasingly focused on targeting key V.D.P. positions and formations, like the one in Barsalogho. Reports from the Long War Journal show that J.N.I.M. now controls an estimated 40% of Burkinabe territory with increased presence within the military regime’s domain. Looking at J.N.I.M.’s current presence and capacity for violence, the group may continue its rampage across Burkina Faso, continuing to topple major V.D.P. strongholds.
- Mexican Journalists Shot In Western Mexico In Two Unrelated Instances - December 21, 2024
- Opposition Claims State Involvement in Death of Venezuelan Opposition Leader - December 15, 2024
- North Korea Threatens Violence Against South Korea with Accusations of Distributing Propaganda - December 11, 2024