IED blast kills dozens of civilians in Burkina Faso

NAIROBI, Kenya - An IED blast attack has killed at least 35 civilians and wounded 37 in Burkina Faso. Monday’s incident took place as the military-led convoy was supplying towns in the restive north on the road between Bourzanga to Djibo, according to a statement by Sahel region governor Rodolphe Sorgo.

Burkina Faso – a landlocked country is in the grip of a 7-year insurgency that has claimed more than 2,000 lives and forced some 1.9 million people to leave their homes.

The government, however, said in a statement that "The escorts quickly secured the perimeter and took measures to help the victims, adding that the convoy had left the north for Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou.

A security source told AFP the supply convoy was composed of civilians, drivers, and traders. The explosion follows a string of road attacks leading to the region’s main cities, Dori and Djibo.

Last month 15 soldiers were killed in the area by a double IED blast. In June, another 86 civilians were killed by armed attackers in the northern town of Seytenga.

The tri-border area has been central to a spiraling security crisis in the broader region over the last ten years and has seen increasing attacks by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) following military takeovers in Mali and Burkina Faso in May 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

Burkina Faso’s military rulers have branded fighting armed groups in the northern and eastern regions of the country a top priority, with the army saying it has undertaken offensive actions and initiated a dialogue with certain armed groups through religious and local leaders. 

Both Mali and Burkina Faso have agreed to strengthen their military partnership to combat armed groups, a move that followed the withdrawal of French troops from Mali, which was completed in August, and Mali’s withdrawal from the regional G5 Sahel Joint Force, which went into effect at the end of June.

A mediator from the Economic Community of West African States had previously reported that authorities in Burkina Faso controlled just 60 percent of the country of 20 million people’s territory.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has said nearly one in 10 people in Burkina Faso have been displaced by conflict, and severe food insecurity has almost doubled compared with 2021 as fields and livestock are abandoned.

GAROWE ONLINE