Jihadists killed dozens of civilians according to Burkinabe officials

Burkina Faso’s rulers claimed on December 18 that jihadists were killing dozens of civilians in the country’s north, according to Africa News and AFP. 

Burkina Faso, as well as allied and neighbouring Mali and Niger, are under military rule with the latter being the most recent to be junta led following a dramatic coup that ousted the democratically elected Mohamed Bazoum. 

The Burkinabe leaders’ claims were in response to numerous videos circulating online of showing what seems to be clips of military men committing violent assaults against the general public. 

In a press release, the Minister for Communication, Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo stated, “The government invites the population not to give any credence to the video images currently circulating on social networks. 

“The videos attempt to make people believe that massacres of civilians have been perpetrated by Burkina Faso’s fighting forces”. 

READ: UN to carry out investigation into Burkina Faso killings

The minister and numerous other officials in government also claimed that the clips were terrorist propaganda and should not be entertained. 

The Sahel region as a whole has become an Islamist extremism zone over the past decade with many prominent organisations in the area having links to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. 

Late last month, jihadists attacked an army base in Djibo (a town in northern Burkina Faso) in an unsuccessful takeover bid. At least 40 civilians were killed and 42 were wounded, according to Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

The army said that they neutralised 400 gunmen in response as well as noting that they “failed miserably” to take over the Djibo camp.  

Since 2015, over 17,000 have been killed by jihadist groups in the West African country. The death toll compromised of soldiers as well as civilians. 

AFP/Africa News/ UN