Crime Africa

Armed groups with links to ISIL, al-Qaeda terrorising Burkina Faso: HRW

Armed groups with links to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) have escalated attacks on civilians in Burkina Faso, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said in a report.

Publishing the report on Wednesday, the NGO documented the killing of at least 128 civilians in seven attacks by “armed groups” across the country since February 2024 that “violated international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes”.

The report states that the groups have been “massacring villagers, displaced people, and Christian worshippers”.

“We are witnessing an incredibly concerning surge in Islamist violence,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW. She called on the leaders of the groups to cease their “deadly attacks”.

Led by the military government of Ibrahim Traore, the West African nation has been grappling with an armed rebellion by the ISIL affiliate in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) since they moved into Burkina Faso from neighbouring Mali in 2016.

Traore has pushed for civilians to play a role in fighting the groups. He has recruited thousands of volunteer army auxiliaries and forced civilians to dig defensive trenches.

In a report full of witness accounts, the rights group documented gruesome atrocities, including an ISGS-claimed attack on a church in the village of Essakane, near the border with Niger, in February, carried out in apparent retaliation against Christians who refused to abandon their religion, that killed at least 12 people.

HRW said JNIM was involved in six other attacks, including a June assault on an army base near Niger in which 107 soldiers and at least 20 civilians were killed.

A JNIM attack on civilians digging trenches around the north-central town of Barsalogho at the end of August was reported to have killed up to 400 people.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project was cited in the report as saying more than 26,000 people had been killed – including soldiers, militiamen and civilians – in Burkina Faso since 2016.

Source: aljazeera.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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