Security operatives in Burkina Faso say that the bodies of 28 individuals who were shot dead have been discovered in the town of Nouna in northwest Burkina Faso.
Prosecutors announced in a statement that no information on the potential attackers or the reason for the attacks was provided that an inquiry into the homicides that were discovered on December 30 and 31 had been initiated.
Over the past ten years, a violent insurgency that originated in neighboring Mali has extended to the West African nation. Millions of people have been compelled to evacuate their homes, and thousands have died around the region.
The Nouna attacks were attributed on Monday by the Burkinabe civil society group CISC to armed citizens posing as members of the Homeland Defence Volunteers (VDP), a group that receives funding and training from the government to assist in fighting the militants.
Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office, Burkina Faso has been removed from the AGOA trade preference program due to serious concerns regarding a “unconstitutional shift” in the country’s administration.
Burkina Faso experienced two military coups in 2022 as a result of frustration with the government’s inability to put a stop to insurgency. Despite efforts to increase security made by both the previous and current juntas, rebel attacks have persisted.
In response to the U.S. decision, the junta’s foreign affairs ministry reaffirmed a November declaration that the timeline for a return to democracy had not changed.