Hundreds of civilians have been slaughtered in a devastating Islamist attack on a town in Burkina Faso.
Townsfolk in Barsalogho, which is less than 100 miles from the capital of Ouagadougou, were digging defensive trenches – to aid the country’s beleaguered security forces – when they came under attack from a heavily armed, al-Qaeda linked group. Eyewitnesses later reported seeing bodies strewn around the trenches – alongside the shovels they were using. Reports suggest between 200 and 400 people were killed, and many more injured.
The attack is the latest chapter in the Jihadist violence that has engulfed the landlocked west African country in recent years. Barsalogho, in the centre-north region, was the home of at least 90,000 displaced people (most of them Christians) who had already fled from Jihadist attacks further north.
UK-based Release International has been supporting Christians in Burkina Faso who have suffered. Following this latest atrocity, CEO Paul Robinson said, ‘Christians in Burkina Faso have been suffering attacks and displacement for several years now and many of those in Barsalogho had already fled from their homes and communities further north – thinking they would be safe there.’
‘However, these militant groups have proved that they will stop at nothing to seize control and impose their interpretation of Islam on everyone by force.’
The attack has been attributed to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), one of several armed groups operating in Burkina Faso and across the Sahel region, aiming to establish an Islamic caliphate and eradicating what are perceived to be Western-influenced governments. According to the media network Aljazeera, JNIM’s operations began in Mali before spreading to Burkina Faso and parts of Niger. It stated the group has also launched attacks in the northern regions of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo.
More than two million people have been displaced in Burkina Faso since 2015, as a result of terrorist attacks, creating a huge humanitarian crisis, with urgent need for food, shelter and health services. Churches have been particular targets. Worship services have been disrupted, and Christians killed or kidnapped. Schools have also been targeted and thousands of schools have been closed because of the on-going insecurity, depriving hundreds of thousands of children of access to education.
A Release International partner on the ground in Burkina Faso spoke of the chronic insecurity people are living under. ‘Many Christian families have been forced to flee their villages because of the threat of attack. These displacements impact daily life, affecting access to basic services, education and the means of basic subsistence,’ he said, adding that there is a loss of confidence in the ability of the state’s security services to protect its citizens.
Burkina Faso has a population of around 22 million and is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. Known as the Republic of Upper Volta until the mid-1980s, it was formerly part of French West Africa, gaining its independence in 1960. French is still the language of government and the business world.
The country has witnessed several military coups (including two as recently as 2022) and has been prone to repeated droughts and famine.
Release International is currently running an Appeal to support Christians who have been forced to flee violence. It tells the story of a woman (pictured above) in Burkina Faso who had to flee her home last year, after Islamists shot dead her pastor husband.
Release International is active in some 30 countries. It works through partners to provide prayerful, pastoral, and practical support for the families of Christian martyrs, prisoners of faith and their families, Christians suffering oppression and violence, and those forced to flee.
In Burkina Faso Release International supports pastors and widows who have been displaced, with food and hygiene products for an initial period, followed by support to help them start earning a living. It also helps provide education for the children of displaced Christian families.
