OUAGADOUGOU: A village massacre in Burkina Faso that was carried out by men in army uniform has resulted in the deaths of 136 people, according to a human rights group, more than double the official figure of 60 dead.
The attack took place on April 20 in the village of Karma in the country’s north, an area that has been hit hard by jihadist activity. A local prosecutor initially reported the death toll as around 60, but survivors and Karma residents said that more than 100 died in the assault.
The Collective against Impunity and Stigmatisation of Communities (CISC) said in a statement that it had documented and registered 136 dead bodies in Karma, including 50 women and 21 children. The attackers had also killed 11 people nearby the same day, according to the NGO.
CISC’s head, Daouda Diallo, said that the assailants had grouped civilians together by dozens and by area, “taking care to leave armed men with each group with the watchword ‘Kill everyone’.”
The bloodbath followed a militants attack on April 15 that claimed the lives of 40 troops and volunteer auxiliaries in the same region. Survivors’ accounts suggest that the attackers accused the Karma villagers of sheltering members of terrorist groups.
Judicial inquiry into Burkina Faso attack
The CISC demanded a full and impartial judicial inquiry “to bring all those responsible, as well as the sponsors, to court.” Burkina’s military government, which had initially remained silent on the killings, issued a statement condemning “barbaric acts” on Thursday and urging a full inquiry.
According to an NGO estimate, more than 10,000 civilians and members of the security forces have died in Burkina Faso since 2015, when groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda swept in from neighbouring Mali.
Nearly two million people have fled their homes, and at least a third of Burkina Faso lies outside government control. The United Nations (UN) high commissioner for human rights has stated that according to reports, “at least 150 civilians” may have been killed in the Karma massacre.
