Families of civilians killed in a massacre in Burkina Faso have accused the army of putting them in harm’s way by forcing them to leave their village to dig a trench.
On Saturday, armed men attacked the village of Barsalogho in north-central Burkina Faso, killing dozens of civilians and security personnel, according to local sources.
The group linked to Al-Qaeda, known as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), claimed responsibility for the attack and reported taking over a local militia headquarters.
In a statement seen by AFP on Tuesday, the Justice Collective for Barsalogho, which represents the victims’ families, alleged that Burkina Faso military officials had “forced people, under threat, to participate in construction work against their will”. The statement said they were made to dig a trench three kilometres (1.9 miles) from the village for use by forces to defend against the terrorists.
The collective is calling for an investigation to determine who issued the alleged order.
Two videos, apparently documenting the massacre and attributed to JNIM, show assailants in military gear firing automatic weapons at a trench with at least 91 bodies. Authorities have not confirmed the death toll.
A member of the collective, who wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about reprisals, told AFP they helped bury victims in mass graves containing “more than 100 bodies”.
Since 2015, jihadist rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have been waging an insurgency in Burkina Faso, resulting in over 20,000 deaths, according to the NGO Acled.
A security source earlier claimed that “the response of the soldiers” and auxiliary troops “neutralised several terrorists and prevented a greater tragedy”.
Following a coup in September 2022, Burkina Faso’s junta leader Ibrahim Traore pledged to prioritise the fight against terrorism. This year, he called on civil auxiliary fighters to “mobilise local people to dig trenches for protection” until machinery could be provided.