Church officials reported that gunmen assaulted a community gathering for mass at a church in the conflict-ridden northern region of Burkina Faso, killing at least 15 Catholic parishioners in the area.
The violence that occurred on Sunday in the village of Essakane was described as a “terrorist attack” by Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, vicar-general of the Catholic Diocese of Dori, where the incident took place. Twelve people died at the scene of the attack, and three more people passed away while receiving medical attention for their wounds. He claimed that the attack had harmed two more people.
The incident was not immediately attributed to anyone.
“We kindly ask you to offer prayers for the souls of those who have passed away in faith, for the recovery of the injured, and for the change of heart of those who persist in causing death and destruction in our nation, in light of this terrible situation,” a statement from Sawadogo said.
The incident occurred in an area that has seen multiple attacks by armed groups, some of which have targeted Christian churches and others of which have involved the kidnapping of clergy members. Armed groups have ravaged Burkina Faso for years, leaving about half of the country outside of government authority. The stability of the country, which saw two coups in 2022, is further threatened by the thousands of deaths and more than two million displaced people caused by fighters.
Read More: Houthi attacks in Red Sea disrupting business; UK exporters
Ever since the first coup in January 2022, the nation’s military rulers have found it difficult to bring peace to areas that are still at war. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies released a report in August 2023 that stated that, in comparison to the 18 months prior, the number of individuals killed by armed groups has almost tripled.
The porous borders with Mali and Niger, both of which are governed by military officials and likewise experience security issues, have made the security situation worse in addition to the military government’s limited capabilities.