Men wearing military uniforms killed approximately 60 civilians in a village in northern Burkina Faso, according to the local prosecutor.
The incident has prompted an investigation into the latest wave of violence in the insurgency-hit country. Burkina Faso is located in the Sahel region of West Africa and is among the world’s most unstable and impoverished countries.
Suspected militants have been carrying out attacks in the country, which is grappling with an insurgency that spilled over from Mali. The village of Karma, where the attack occurred, is close to the Malian border and is a popular destination for illegal gold miners.
Survivors reported that more than 100 people on motorbikes and pick-up trucks raided the village, dressed in military uniforms, and killed dozens of men and young people. The attack came a week after suspected militants killed 34 defence volunteers and six soldiers near the village of Aorema. In response, the Burkinabe military junta declared a “general mobilisation” to combat the wave of violence.
Burkina Faso’s transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has pledged to recapture the 40% of the country’s territory controlled by militants and to hold elections for a civilian government by 2024. The violence has left over 10,000 people dead and displaced two million from their homes, according to aid groups.
