Over the past several years, East Africa has been the victim of terrorism and unrest, including a military coup in January of this year. Terrorist groups backed by Al-Qaeda have gained control of many areas.
On May 25, an attack was carried out against the commune of Madjoari, in eastern Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is a landlocked, East African country surrounded by Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and the Ivory Coast, with a population of about 20,000 inhabitants. Fifty men were massacred in the attack. The area has been under blockade by jihadists, and inhabitants were attempting to flee the area to get food. The army tries to get supply convoys into the town, but when they fail, desperate inhabitants try to flee, which is what has been occurring in Madjoari over the last ten days.
It was the bloodiest attack in the past year. Two similar incidents occurred earlier in May in Benin and Togo, in which 17 civilians and 11 soldiers were killed.
The jihadists have overrun sections of Burkina Faso since the mid 2010’s. The violence is intensifying and thousands of people are killed each year.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, issued a statement May 27 condemning the despicable attack. He called on the Burkinabe officials to find and bring the attackers to justice. He sent his condolences to the people who lost their loved ones, and confirmed the commitment of the UN to support Burkina Faso’s struggle in its fight against terrorism and extremists.
Last year in Solhan, at least 132 people were killed. The gunmen were said to be young teens, between the ages of 12-14.
The military overthrew Burkina Faso’s president, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, in January in a coup and replaced him with Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, in the hope of improving security, but the violence has continued and is escalating.
Over the past two months attacks have been steadily occurring against civilians and soldiers, and around 200 people have been killed.
The new leader has been trying to negotiate with the jihadist groups, but it hasn’t been curbing the violence.