Burkina Faso's prime minister says civilians killed in jihadist attack had no protection

DAKAR (Reuters) – Burkina Faso's prime minister said on Wednesday scores of civilians had been killed in an attack by Islamist militants digging defensive trenches on army orders and had not been adequately protected.

A group of relatives of the victims said at least 400 people were shot dead on August 24 when residents of Barsalogho in northern Burkina Faso were attacked as they dug trenches, some against their will. Other sources put the death toll at a lower level.

The attack was one of the worst in Burkina Faso's history and a setback for the junta that took power in September 2022 vowing to fight an insurgency that spread from neighboring Mali in 2015.

In his speech at the flag-raising ceremony in the capital Ouagadougou, Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela described the attack as a tragedy that occurred because the people had been deceived.

“The head of state has given the necessary instructions to protect the population when collective mobilizations like this occur,” said Tambela, who was appointed by junta leader Ibrahim Traore.

“Why were these instructions not followed?” asked Tambela.

Authorities made little comment on the attack, sparking a public outcry. They said civilians, soldiers and volunteers were killed, but did not give an exact death toll.

Al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM, which claimed to have carried out the attack, warned civilians against supporting the army in the fight against the insurgency that spread from neighboring Mali in 2015.

Traore has relied heavily on civilians joining the army as volunteers, but insecurity has worsened and civilian casualties have risen, partly due to reprisals for their involvement in the army, analysts say.

In May, Traore called on civilians to help dig trenches around towns and villages.

A group of relatives of the victims that formed after the attack in Barsalogho said many residents were forced to participate against their will and some were beaten when they refused.

The junta has not responded to several requests for comment on the attack.

Several sources told Reuters there were fears that digging trenches could provoke the jihadists who have been besieging the city for at least two years.

According to a woman who survived the attack, the militants shot at civilians and soldiers alike.

The United Nations estimated the death toll at around 200. JNIM claimed to have killed nearly 300 “militants.”

(Reporting by the Dakar bureau, written by Sofia Christensen, editing by Timothy Heritage)