Burkina Faso: More than 150 killed in latest wave of terror

Aftermath of massacre in Manni, Oct 2024 © ACN

Source: ACN

Islamist extremists massacred at least 150 people - many of them Christians - in a series of attacks earlier this month in Burkina Faso.

Terrorists targeted the town of Manni - home to a large Catholic community - in eastern Burkina Faso on Sunday 6th October, opening fire at residents, torching buildings and burning some people alive, according to local sources who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

The sources told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the perpetrators returned the next day, attacking medical staff and murdering many of the previously injured who were being treated in hospital. ACN's sources said that the extremists targeted the town a third time on Tuesday 8th October, massacring all the men they could find.

They added that many of those killed were originally from nearby villages who had sought refuge in Manni after being driven out of their homes by terrorists.

One of the sources explained: "The situation is beyond horrific. But even if the terrorists burned everything, they didn't burn our faith!"

Bishop Pierre Claver Malgo of Fada N'Gourma wrote in a message that the attacks were "barbaric" and expressed his "sincere compassion for all the bereaved families... Any threat to the dignity of man and to his life must touch the very heart of the Church."

He stressed the importance of not losing heart and keeping hope alive "for a better tomorrow".

The attacks in Manni are evidence of the continuing deterioration of the security situation in Burkina Faso, where insurgents have seized control of more than half of the country's territory, according to the U.S. Department of Defense Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

The militant groups have been intensifying their offensives in the past months, targeting both security forces and civilians.

Burkina Faso has endured the highest level of extremist violence in the conflict-ridden Sahel region for a number of years, and more than two million people - about 10 percent of the population - have been displaced as a result.

The worst terrorist attack in the country's history took place at the end of August in Barsalogho, central Burkina Faso, killing more than 400, according to the latest reports.

ACN's sources said that the insurgents are attempting to divide the population, which is otherwise known for its harmony between Muslims and Christians - adding that the Catholic Church is doing everything it can to maintain these good relations.

In response to the escalating violence, ACN has stepped up its emergency aid to Burkina Faso, providing food, medicine and psychological help for traumatised people.

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Aid to the Church in Need: www.acnuk.org