Another deadly attack in the north of Burkina Faso. At least 15 civilians were killed on Friday evening in Loroum province in an attack attributed to "armed terrorist groups", according to a press release issued on Saturday May 30 by the government.

"On May 29, a convoy of traders, coming from Titao for Sollé, was attacked by armed terrorist groups, between the localities of Dougouma and Ingané. The provisional report indicates 15 dead, wounded and missing persons, and significant material losses, "said the authorities in a statement signed by the Minister of Communication, Remis Fulgance Dandjinou.

The minister, also spokesman for the government, stresses that "military reinforcements have been deployed and sweeps are underway".

>> Read: In Burkina Faso, civilians in the crosshairs of jihadists

The victims are "mainly traders returning from Titao (about 160 km north of the capital Ouagadougou, editor's note), when their convoy was intercepted by armed individuals," a resident of Titao told AFP, adding that that "the attack took place around 5 pm" (local and GMT).

"The trucks were escorted by 'koglweogo' (members of a local self-defense group) who are among the victims", he continued, on condition of anonymity, adding that "at least four women "were" among the dead ". "Two trucks were set on fire," he added.

Some 860,000 people displaced over the past five years

In January, nine traders had been murdered and a vehicle burned down during an attack on this same axis.

Fearing these recurrent attacks in the North, transporters organize convoys accompanied by 'koglweogo' which they pay. The army also sometimes escorts these convoys.

In April, the Burkinabe political opposition had denounced a "blockade on Djibo (chief town of Soum province, 200 km north of Ouagadougou), a martyr city cut off from the rest of the country" by "armed terrorist groups" .

>> See: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: "The Sahel states are in a dire situation"

A convoy, under military escort, had then supplied the city, which began to lack food, pharmaceuticals, gas and fuel, according to residents.

The north of Burkina Faso is the most affected area of ​​the country by jihadist abuses, which have left more than 900 dead and 860,000 displaced over the past five years.

Under-equipped and poorly trained, the police in Burkina Faso, a poor country in West Africa, cannot stem the spiral of jihadist violence, despite the help of foreign forces, particularly from France , present in the Sahel with 5,100 men as part of the Barkhane anti-jihadist operation.

With AFP

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