Burkina Faso's Deadly Massacre Sparks Public Outcry and Junta Scrutiny

A massacre in Burkina Faso has led to public outcry and pressure on the ruling junta. Islamist militants killed scores in Barsalogho, making it one of the deadliest attacks since 2015. The junta's silence has been heavily criticized. Civilians are being prevented from discussing the incident.

One of the worst massacres in Burkina Faso's history has provoked a fierce public outcry from victims' relatives and religious leaders, piling pressure on the ruling junta of a country where spiraling insecurity has stoked coups. Islamist militants gunned down scores on Aug. 24 as residents of the north-central town of Barsalogho dug defensive trenches on the orders of the army, according to a group of affected families and an eyewitness account.

The ensuing carnage appears to be the deadliest single attack in the West African country since groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State spread from neighboring Mali around 2015. Military authorities who seized power in 2022 have been tight-lipped. Junta members told state television on Aug. 25 that civilians and military personnel were killed, but did not provide a death toll.

The priest of the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, a prominent member of the Catholic community, condemned the junta's response on Monday. "To persist in silence and inaction, is to contribute to the extinction of humanity in the heart of every human being," Father Jean Emmanuel Konvolbo said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)