As the wounds of a February 2024 attack have still left the people of Burkina Faso in mourning, a second wave of attacks have claimed the lives of many. On August 24, more than 100 gunmen on motorcycles invaded the town of Barsalogho, killing hundreds in the assault. Just hours later, the small village of Koumla came under attack, where 26 people at the local Catholic church were slaughtered.
Bishop Theophile Nare of Barsalogho told the Germany-based DW site that the people are of course devastated.
If you follow the news, you know this isn't the first time a tragedy has happened. But as far as I know, there hasn't been a tragedy of this magnitude since the terrorist attacks began and have been raging in our country. It's terrible!
Angelus News reports that the initial attack took place while citizens of Barsalogho, who were somehow given advanced notice of the attack, were still digging trenches in an attempt to protect the town. They were unable to finish before the attack began, however, leaving themselves vulnerable as the terrorists opened fire. It was estimated that the attack claimed the lives of more than 100, with the assailants not sparing women, children, or the elderly.
Just hours later, a second attack was launched at Koumla. Although reports could not confirm that both attacks were carried out by the same group, it is suspected that it was the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-linked militant group.
According to Agenzia Nova this second attack specifically targeted Koumla’s Catholic church. Attackers chased away women and children and rounded up the men to tie them up before executing each one. The attackers then set fire to homes and property, and stole several heads of cattle before they fled. The attack claimed the lives of 26 men, who were all assumed to be Catholic.
The World Facebook notes that Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest countries, making it vulnerable to radicalization.
Terrorist groups -- including groups affiliated with Al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State -- began attacks in the country in 2016. More than 2 million of the nation's citizens are displaced due to the conflicts. Food insecurity is also prevalent.
The country is about 64% Muslim and 20% Catholic.
The US State Department's 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom noted that the country experienced 67% of the militant Islamist-related fatalities in the Sahel region (8,800 deaths in Burkina Faso alone) in 2023. "Terrorist groups, armed insurgents, and militant jihadists killed imams, other clergy, and worshippers while attacking and destroying mosques, churches, and animists’ places of worship."
Wounds
The new wave of attacks has reopened wounds in the Catholic community. On February 25, armed militants targeted a Catholic church in Essaka, northern Burkina Faso, while Mass was being celebrated. This attack saw 15 people killed and another two injured.
Government spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric.”
On a nationally televised broadcast he denounced the “hordes of criminals” who targeted “women, children, the elderly, men, without distinction.”
In a similar statement, Security Minister Sana vowed that the nation’s armed forces would “give a response so that the enemy knows that we will never again accept such barbarity on our soil.”
