At least 43 killed in attack on Burkina Faso villagesA Burkina Faso soldier on patrol near the capital Ouagadougou, April 13, 2018. SEE ALSO :Thirty-five civilians killed in Burkina Faso after army repels militant attackCorinne Dufka, West Africa director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Sunday’s attack was one of six incidents in northern Burkina Faso since the start of the year that the organization is investigating in which vigilante fighters allegedly killed civilians or suspected jihadists. SEE ALSO :35 civilians killed in double Burkina Faso attackJihadists, many transplants from neighboring Mali, have repeatedly stoked ethnic conflict by closely associating themselves with the Fulani, causing Fulani civilians to bear the brunt of reprisals by soldiers and vigilantes. Last year was Burkina Faso’s deadliest in recent memory, and the violence has continued unabated this year. Two attacks in northern Burkina Faso in January killed 36 and 39 people, respectively, and gunmen killed 24 people in an attack on a church in February.

Source: Standard Digital March 10, 2020 04:30 UTC