Burkina Faso: two civilians and fifty “terrorists” killed during an attack in the north of the country
Two civilians and fifty “terrorists” were killed on Wednesday May 31 during a “complex ambush” against the military escort of a convoy of food in the north of Burkina Faso, announced Thursday the general staff of the armies in a press release. “A unit of 12e Commando Infantry Regiment [RIC]seconded by 2e Rapid Intervention Battalion [BIR]energetically responded to a complex ambush on Wednesday May 31, 2023 in the vicinity of Tibou”a locality located in the province of Loroum, bordering Mali, indicates the Burkinabe army.
“The units, which were escorting a food convoy for the benefit of the populations of Titao, were attacked by a group of terrorists whose number is estimated at around a hundred”continues the press release. “The promptness and vigor of the response created a rout in the ranks of the terrorists who suffered very heavy losses. At least fifty of them were neutralized”assures the Burkinabé staff, which specifies that “two civilians” who were part of the convoy were killed.
No “negotiation” with jihadist groups
Burkina Faso has been caught since 2015 in a spiral of jihadist violence that appeared in Mali and Niger a few years earlier and which has spread beyond their borders. The violence over the past seven years has killed more than 10,000 civilians and soldiers, according to NGOs, and more than two million internally displaced persons.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyélem de Tambèla ruled out any “negotiation” with jihadist groups. He also indicated that the elections could not be held without the return of security in the country.
Burkina Faso, which has experienced two coups in 2022, has been led since September 2022 by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The military must return power to civilians in July 2024, after a presidential election.