Trench tragedy: Burkinabe civilians caught in the crossfire

Burkina Faso’s prime minister announced Wednesday that dozens of civilians had been killed by Islamist militants as they carried out army orders to dig defensive trenches without adequate protective measures. Relatives of the victims, who were attacked on August 24 in Barsalogho, reported that 400 people had been killed, although some had participated in the operation against their will. Other estimates suggest a lower toll.

The attack is considered one of the worst in Burkina Faso’s history and poses a major challenge to the junta, which seized power in September 2022 on promises to curb an ongoing insurgency that originated in Mali in 2015. Speaking at a ceremony in Ouagadougou, Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem of Tambela called the event a tragedy born of deception.

“Why were the necessary instructions to protect the population during the mobilizations not respected?” Tambela asked. The authorities provided few details about the attack, which sparked public outrage. They confirmed that civilians, soldiers and volunteer auxiliaries were among the victims, but did not give exact figures. The JNIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack and warned civilians against the army’s support for the fighting against the insurgents.

Since May 2022, the junta has relied heavily on civilian volunteers to help dig trenches around towns and villages. However, insecurity has intensified, leading to a rise in civilian casualties, partly due to militant reprisals. Sources say the trench digging has raised fears of provocation by jihadists, who have kept the city under blockade for more than two years. The United Nations has put the death toll at around 200, while JNIM has claimed to have killed nearly 300 “fighters.”

(With contributions from agencies.)