A woman who survived the massacre of hundreds of villagers in central Burkina Faso has shared a harrowing account of her experience, describing the horrific search for her brothers amidst the carnage. The attack, claimed by an Al Qaeda-linked group earlier this week, has been one of the deadliest in the country’s nearly decade-long battle against Islamist violence.
The 38-year-old woman, who escaped the massacre with her toddler, gave her testimony to an aid worker in Kaya, a nearby town where many survivors have sought refuge. She recounted the agonizing process of collecting the bodies of her older brothers, saying, “We went out with carts to collect the bodies of my older brothers. We spent a long time going through bodies piled up under trees.”
The massacre occurred on Saturday morning in the town of Barsalogho. The military had ordered all the men in the town to dig trenches as a defensive measure against potential attacks, while women and children were tasked with clearing vegetation to improve visibility for the soldiers. Around 10 a.m., militants, whom the woman described as “bushmen,” arrived and began firing indiscriminately on both soldiers and civilians. The attack continued until drones arrived overhead later in the day.
The survivor stated that it took three days for the survivors, primarily women and children, to collect the bodies. Al Qaeda affiliate Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they targeted soldiers and militia members excavating trenches. The group claimed nearly 300 people were killed, all of whom they described as fighters, not civilians. However, videos released on social media appear to show more than 100 bodies piled in a trench, most of them in civilian clothing. Reuters confirmed the location of the videos based on the trench’s position and other features in the landscape that matched satellite imagery.
The woman’s testimony sheds light on the immense human cost of the violence. One family she knew lost 30 members, while another family of 13 was completely wiped out. The survivor described the horrific scene at the town hall, where survivors were carrying bodies and the air was thick with the stench of death. She said, “I am no longer sure that I am normal. You know why? Because I saw horrible things, dead bodies and blood everywhere. I have not been sleeping well since I was displaced here.”
The government’s response to the massacre has been met with criticism from local communities and international organizations. The Burkina Faso junta has not disclosed the exact number of casualties but acknowledged that civilians were among the victims. A civil society group, Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho, has accused the government of silence and inaction, highlighting its focus on the military rather than the needs of the surviving community. They blamed the army for sending citizens to their deaths by forcing them to dig trenches that ultimately became mass graves.
The incident underscores the escalating violence in Burkina Faso and the West African Sahel region. The insurgency, which took root in Mali in 2012, has destabilized the region, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and displacement. The growing reliance on civilians to combat the jihadist groups has proven to be a dangerous strategy, as evidenced by the Barsalogho massacre.
As the country grapples with the aftermath of this horrific event, the need for a comprehensive and effective response to the jihadist threat becomes increasingly urgent. The government must prioritize the safety and well-being of its citizens and address the grievances of local communities while working to restore stability to the region.
