Islamists Kill Over 100 in Burkina Faso: JNIM (Al-Qaeda affiliated)
Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Another massacre in Burkina Faso by Islamists loyal to Al-Qaeda (JNIM – Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin) killed over 100 civilians and soldiers.
Millions of people have been uprooted in the countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Islamic terrorist groups also blight other regional nations.
AP News reports, “At least 100 villagers and soldiers were killed in central Burkina Faso during a weekend attack on a village by al-Qaida-linked jihadis, according to videos of the violence analyzed by a regional specialist, who’s described the assault as one of the deadliest this year in the conflict-battered West African nation.”
The armed forces of Burkina Faso were being assisted by locals in the environs of the Barsalogho commune when Islamists arrived and began killing innocent civilians.
Newsweek reports, “Burkina Faso has often faced violence from jihadists as roughly half of the country is outside of control from the government. Thousands have been killed and many others have been displaced in the West African country due to ongoing attacks.”
Nicholas Haque (Al Jazeera) says, “We see men, women and children laying inside the trenches they were digging themselves. Effectively, they have turned into mass graves.”
The nations of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed the Alliance of Sahel States last year. This formation developed rapidly after bellicose statements by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States). However, bloodshed continues throughout the region.
The Alliance of Sahel States charter says, “Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties.”
The BBC reports, “The three countries have all severed their ties with France, the former colonial power, which for years had a strong military presence across the Sahel.”
Islamic terrorists utilize border areas to form tacit safe havens. Hence, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger seek to counter this weakness – and other areas in their collective fight against Islamic terrorism.
Captain Ibrahim Traore (Interim President of Burkina Faso) is focused on national security and working with Mali and Niger.
However, the vastness of the Sahel region renders it difficult to stem the various Islamic insurgent groups – who seek to be governed by Islamic Sharia law.
Overall, Burkina Faso faces an uphill struggle to contain the crisis.
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