In August 2024, jihadists began to close in on the Barsalogho Department city of Kaya, which represented the last defensive line between the terrorists and Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou. In anticipation of an attack, the Burkina Faso Armed Forces recruited nearby residents to dig defensive trenches around the town of Barsalogho, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the north of Kaya.[6]
Attack
On 24 August 2024, from 09:00 to 16:00,[4] a group of JNIM terrorists opened fire on soldiers and townspeople who were digging defensive trenches for the army and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)[5]—a civilian armed group that supports the Burkinabe military.[11] Hundreds of people were killed, while many wounded people were taken to a hospital in Kaya. Most of the victims were young residents of the town who helped soldiers dig trenches.[2][12] Local officials and members of the VDP were also among the casualties.[11] The attackers captured several weapons and an ambulance used by the Burkinabe military.[6] Survivors of the attack and relatives of the dead said that members of the military fled during the assault.[1] On 27 August, sources told Reuters that the attack had likely killed at least 400 or 500 people;[2] a French government security assessment acquired by CNN in October concluded that up to 600 people had been killed in the attack.[1] Burkinabe soldiers, auxiliaries, and air support responded to the attack, reportedly killing several terrorists and limiting further Burkinabe casualties.[11][12]
Aftermath
After the attack, JNIM released several videos of the bodies of those killed.[6] The group's leader, Iyad Ag Ghaly, claimed that it had taken control of a militia headquarters in Barsalogho.[13] The JNIM killed people in the trenches where they were digging in an effort to turn them into mass graves, and said that the army ordered civilians to dig military trenches in an apparent act of desperation to counter the jihadists' advances.[6]
On 23 September, the Burkinabe government stated that it had discovered a three-stage plot to destabilise the country “with the help of foreign powers” and individuals based in Ivory Coast. It also claimed that the attack in Barsalogho was the first phase of the plot.[14]
Reactions
JNIM issued a statement claiming that they had not killed civilians but militia members working for the army.[15]
Families of the victims of the attack, issuing a statement under the advocacy group Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho (English: Justice Collective for Barsalogho), accused the Burkinabe government of leaving the victims vulnerable to the attack by forcing them to dig trenches. They called for an investigation into who had given them the orders to do so.[16][15]
