Survivor of Burkina Faso Massacre Describes Horror and Loss

A harrowing testimony has emerged from a survivor of the recent massacre in central Burkina Faso, where hundreds of villagers were killed by jihadists linked to Al Qaeda. The woman, a 38-year-old who escaped the attack with her young child, shared her traumatic experience of searching through piles of bodies to find her brothers.

The massacre occurred outside the town of Barsalogho and is one of the deadliest incidents in nearly a decade of Islamist violence in the region. The survivor described how the militants targeted civilians and soldiers who were digging trenches to fortify the town against potential attacks. The attack began around 10 a.m. and continued until drones arrived later in the day. It reportedly took survivors three days to collect and bury the dead.

The woman recounted how every man in the town was forced by the military to dig trenches for defense, while women and children were tasked with clearing vegetation to aid visibility. The militants attacked without warning, resulting in a significant number of casualties. The Al Qaeda affiliate Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin claimed responsibility, asserting they had targeted soldiers and militia, not civilians, and reported killing nearly 300 people.

In her interview, the survivor described the scene of the massacre and the subsequent efforts to recover and bury the dead. She witnessed bodies piled up in trenches and had to search through them to locate her three brothers. Despite local customs prohibiting women from participating in burials, she insisted on helping due to the overwhelming number of graves that needed to be dug. Her testimony underscores the depth of the tragedy and the emotional toll it has taken on those affected.

Burkina Faso’s ruling junta has yet to provide a clear figure for the number of casualties but has acknowledged that civilians were among the victims. The government has faced criticism for its handling of the aftermath, with some accusing the military of recklessness in using civilians for defense purposes. The Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho, a civilian group, has criticized the government’s lack of transparency and the insufficient response to the survivors’ suffering.

The massacre highlights the escalating violence in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel region, where jihadist groups have caused widespread instability. The reliance on civilians for defensive operations has drawn criticism, as it exposes them to severe risks in an already volatile environment. Since the onset of the insurgency in Mali in 2012, the Sahel has seen increasing violence, leading to significant civilian casualties.

The ongoing conflict has also contributed to political instability in Burkina Faso, with two coups occurring in 2022 amid growing frustrations over the government’s failure to address the violence. The non-governmental organization Armed Conflict Location and Event Data reported that over 6,500 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since the beginning of 2020.

The massacre in Barsalogho is a stark reminder of the humanitarian crisis facing the region and the urgent need for effective solutions to combat the violence and support the affected communities.