Burkina Faso Prime Minister, Joachim Tambela, has confirmed that many civilians were killed in an attack by Islamist militants who were digging defensive trenches under orders from the military.
A group of victims’ relatives said at least 400 people were shot dead on Aug. 24 when residents of Barsalogho in north-central Burkina Faso were attacked as they dug protective trenches, some of them against their will. Other tolls put the number of deaths lower.
The attack was one of the worst in Burkina Faso’s history and a setback for the junta that seized power in September 2022, vowing to tackle an insurgency that spread from neighboring Mali in 2015.
Addressing a flag-raising ceremony in the capital, Ouagadougou, Tambela described the attack as a tragedy that occurred because people were deceived.
“The head of state gave necessary instructions for protecting the population when there are collective mobilisations such as this one,” said Tambela, who was installed by junta leader Ibrahim Traore
The jihadist group JNIM, which claimed responsibility for the attack, has warned civilians not to support the military in its battle against the insurgency that originated from Mali in 2015.
