Men clad in military fatigues kill 60 people in Burkina Faso

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) - At least 60 people have been killed by men dressed in military uniforms in Karma, a village in northern Burkina Faso, a local prosecutor said late Sunday.

"The commander of the Ouahigouya gendarmerie research brigade reported to me that in the village of Karma, 60 people were killed by people wearing the uniforms of our national armed forces," said Lamine Kabore.

He said the wounded have been evacuated to local health facilities.

Following the incident, which he said was "very serious," Kabore ordered an investigation to be carried out "to clarify and arrest all those involved.”

Attacks of this kind are common in the West African country, which has been plagued by terrorism for several years.

On April 15, a camp 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Ouahigouya of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP), the name given to the army's civilian auxiliaries charged with fighting terrorism, lost 40 members in an attack, according to the army.

The military seized power in two coups in January and September 2022, accusing the previous civilian government of failing to provide security for the population.

However, attacks have not stopped since the seizure of power, and civilians, soldiers and army auxiliaries have died, making the country the most affected by terrorism in Africa and the second most affected in the world, according to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index.