At Least 33 Soldiers Killed In Burkina Faso Attack

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • On Thursday, at least 33 soldiers were killed and a dozen others wounded in a suspected jihadist assault on a military detachment in east Burkina Faso's Gourma province, the government said.1
  • The detachment of Ougarou reportedly killed at least 40 heavily armed militants before the arrival of reinforcements; however, some soldiers are reportedly still missing in action.2
  • The attack comes a week after the April 20 massacre of at least 60 civilians in the northern village of Karma by men wearing army uniforms.3
  • Burkina Faso and Mali reportedly account for more than 70% of terrorism deaths in the Sahel region, which the Global Terrorism Index 2023 deems "the epicenter of terrorism."4
  • Through the Wagner Group, Russia is often accused of providing arms and operational support to the country's military-led government, which only controls about 60% of the country's territory.5
  • The long-running insurgency in Burkina Faso has claimed thousands of lives, displaced more than 2M people, and caused significant political turbulence.6

Sources: 1Washington Post, 2Africa News, 3ITN, 4ReliefWeb, 5Bloomberg, and 6BBC News.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by IOL. The latest attack is a sad setback for Burkina Faso in its ongoing fight against terrorism. However, this doesn't change the fact that the government is on the right track after throwing out the French — who have been chronically unsuccessful in fighting jihadism for years while pursuing their neocolonial interests. Only a sovereign and truly independent Burkina Faso in a multipolar world will ultimately bring lasting security and peace to its people.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Stars and Stripes. The jihadist attack is another indication that the security situation in Burkina Faso continues to deteriorate after the military junta forced France to leave. If the regime officially embraces Kremlin and its notorious Wagner mercenaries, it is safe to assume that the country's security will continue to deteriorate and serious human rights violations will become more common. The junta has only itself to blame for Burkina Faso's increasing destabilization.
  • Cynical narrative, as provided by CGTN. While the Ukraine war dominates the Western headlines, a catastrophe is unfolding in Africa that's barely noticed. While France is accused of nurturing Sahel terrorism rather than countering it, Washington, which claims to be leading the world in the fight against terrorism, also seems to be abandoning the Sahel states.