According to a senior church official, a “terrorist” attack occurred during a Sunday mass at a Catholic church in Burkina Faso, resulting in the death of at least 15 individuals and injuring two others.
The vicar general of the Dori diocese, Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, is speaking out for peace and security in Burkina Faso and condemning those who are causing death and destruction in our nation.
Sawadogo reported that the Catholic community in Essakane village was targeted in a terrorist attack while they were gathered for their weekly Sunday prayer. The initial count is 15 fatalities and two injuries.
The village of Essakane, where the assault occurred, is located in the region known as the “three borders” in the northeastern area of the landlocked nation of West Africa, bordering Mali and Niger.
This is the most recent in a string of violent acts attributed to militant groups operating in the area. These incidents have included assaults on Christian places of worship and the kidnapping of religious leaders.
Burkina Faso is part of the vast Sahel region, which has been locked in a battle against rising violent extremism since Libya’s civil war in 2011, followed by an Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012. The jihadist insurgency spilled over into Burkina Faso and Niger from 2015.
In 2022, Capt Ibrahim Traoré took control of the government in the country’s second coup within a year. These coups were partially prompted by frustration with the government’s inability to address the ongoing jihadist attacks.
Around 20,000 individuals in Burkina Faso have lost their lives due to this conflict, and over 2 million out of the country’s total population of 24 million have been forced to leave their homes.
Source: theguardian.com
