Burkina Faso's government declared two days of mourning starting on Sunday after 41 people died in an attack by suspected jihadists in the troubled north. "The search mission in the area of an ambush by armed terrorist groups... has established a toll of 41 bodies. The president decrees national mourning of 48 hours," said a government statement issued on Saturday evening. Among the victims of Thursday's attack was Ladji Yoro, considered a leader of the VDP in Burkina Faso, the statement said. Like its neighbours Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has been caught up in a spiral of violence since 2015, attributed to armed jihadist groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State militant group.

Source: The Star December 26, 2021 21:27 UTC