Burkina Faso: Islamists kill hundreds, slit throats of Christians in church

People displaced by the conflict receive new clothes. photo provided

Jihadists have carried out brutal attacks in two areas of Burkina Faso killing several hundred people. On August 24, militants opened fire on hundreds of villagers outside the town of Barsalogho, in northern Burkina Faso. On the following day, they stormed a Protestant church in the western town of Sanaba, killing 26. The Barsalogho attack is one of the deadliest in the country since the Islamist insurgency in the country began nine years ago.

According to news reports, the victims of the Barsalogho carnage were killed as they dug trenches on the army’s orders. Ironically, the trenches were designed to protect the village against insurgents. Hundreds of men were at work in the open when the militants attacked. In videos claiming responsibility the al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) spoke of up to 200 dead. But locals said at least twice that number were killed. Hundreds of injured needed hospital treatment.

Worshipers slaughtered

The following day, a Sunday, a service was underway at a Christian Alliance evangelical church in Sanaba when jihadists attacked. “Twenty-six faithful were killed. Their hands were tied and their throats cut,” said a pastor in the capital, Ouagadougou, who visited the scene shortly afterwards. The pastor, whose congregation aids victims of terror, said the survivors had taken refuge in a school.

One of the victims, a little girl named Micheline, had three bullets removed from her right leg. “We are doing our best to ensure she can return to school. She is now out of hospital and is with a foster family,” the pastor told CSI.

Aid to victims

Working with a team of helpers, the pastor delivers food, blankets and clothing to victims of terror throughout Burkina Faso. In response to the latest jihadist atrocities, CSI is providing one-off emergency support to those affected through his church.

The aid comprises food and clothing for more than 100 families. One 50 kg bag of rice provides enough for a family of 10 for three weeks.

Years ago, the pastor and his congregation began helping refugees from Mali who had fled the jihadist violence there. Now, they provide assistance to those displaced by terror in their own country.

Spreading insurgency

The jihadist insurgency that began in Mali in 2012 has since spread across the Sahel region of West Africa. A number of Islamist groups with al-Qaeda or Islamic State connections are terrorizing the region. Their goal is to destabilize governments and replace them with Islamic governments or caliphates.

In Burkina Faso, jihadist groups have been on the march since 2015. Successive governments have proved incapable of stopping the spread, and the military is now estimated to control just 60 percent of the country.

According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a non-governmental organization, the conflict in Burkina Faso escalated in 2023, resulting in around 8,000 deaths.