According to a high-ranking church official, a “terrorist” assault on a Catholic church during Sunday mass in Burkina Faso has resulted in the death of at least 15 individuals and injury of two others.
The vicar general of the Dori diocese, Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, is urging for peace and security in Burkina Faso and condemning those who are causing death and destruction in the country.
Sawadogo reported that the Catholic community of Essakane village fell victim to a terrorist attack while in the midst of their Sunday prayer. According to him, 15 people were killed and two were injured.
The attack occurred in Essakane village, located in the “three borders” region in the northeastern portion of the landlocked country of West Africa, near the borders of Mali and Niger.
This is the most recent occurrence of a string of heinous acts attributed to jihadist organizations operating in the area. Some of these acts have targeted Christian churches, while others have involved the kidnapping of clergy.
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 country through a coup, marking the second coup within a year. This was partly due to the government’s inability to address the ongoing jihadist violence, which had sparked widespread dissatisfaction.
Approximately 20,000 individuals in Burkina Faso have lost their lives as a result of the conflict, and over 2 million people out of the country’s total population of 24 million have been forced to flee their homes.
Source: theguardian.com
