Guterres strongly condemns terrorist attack in Burkina Faso; hundreds dead and injured — Global Issues

According to news reports, it was the latest terrorist attack by the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) in the north of the West African country, which has conquered large areas of territory in recent years.

Rampant instability

JNIM is just one of the armed groups that have entered Burkina Faso from neighboring Mali, contributing to a serious security crisis that led to two military coups in 2022.

Numerous injured people were evacuated to health facilities in the nearby town of Kaya.

The attack by suspected jihadists on Saturday came as residents of Barsalogho were reportedly digging trenches around the town to protect it from attacks.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said at the regular lunchtime briefing in New York on Tuesday that the UN chief wanted to express his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Burkina Faso.

“The Secretary-General expresses his solidarity with the transitional authorities in their fight against terrorism and calls on them to ensure that those responsible for these despicable acts are held accountable,” he added.

“Additional burden”

Mr Dujarric also reported that UN humanitarian workers working in the area of ​​the “horrific attack” described overall conditions as “quite appalling”.

“According to local authorities, at least 90,000 displaced people lived in Barsalogho last year. These families had sought refuge there from insecurity in surrounding areas and their arrival placed an additional strain on local services and utilities,” he said.

There is acute hunger throughout the province where Barsalogho is located, Dujarric said, adding that insecurity in surrounding areas has also made it significantly more difficult to deliver aid in Barsalogho.

“Since 2022, access for aid organizations to the area has been largely limited to helicopter transport,” the UN spokesman said.