Massacres attributed to jihadist groups left at least 50 dead Friday and Saturday in Burkina Faso: around 30 people were killed during the attack on a market in the East and at least 25 in attacks on two convoys in the North. 

On Saturday, in the Kompienbiga cattle market near Pama (eastern Burkina), armed men "burst onto motorcycles and started shooting, especially on people who were trying to flee," said on Sunday May 31. 'AFP a resident, putting the balance sheet at "thirty dead". 

"A group (of assailants) searched those who remained there while another group pursued those who fled," he said.

"It is difficult to say how many people were killed. There were bodies at the market, others in the bush. More than thirty bodies were gathered yesterday," said another resident, "without news" of his brother present at the market during the attack.

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

A local elected representative of the province of Kompienga, speaks to him of "several dozen dead, in particular of the tradesmen and the inhabitants of the locality".

"The provisional toll of the cowardly attack on the Kompienbiga market is 25 dead and several injured," according to an official government statement late Sunday.

The Governor of the East, Colonel Saidou Sanou, assured in a press release that "this umpteenth attack perpetrated by enemies of the people comes once again to remind the need for a frank collaboration between the FDS (Defense and Security Forces) and the people in order to defeat the terrorist hydra. "

Northern Burkina Faso, an area where attacks are frequent

The same Saturday, an attack against a humanitarian convoy left at least 10 dead north of Barsalogho (North Burkina) near the already infamous locality of Foubé / Foulbé - the name varies according to ethnicity Peule or Mossi - , according to the government statement. 

"The attack on the Foubé-Barsalogho axis perpetrated by armed terrorist groups targeted a humanitarian convoy returning from Foubé after having brought food there. The provisional death toll is 10 dead (5 civilians, 5 gendarmes)".

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

This area where attacks are frequent had been the scene of significant intercommunity violence with 50 deaths according to the official balance sheet, more than 70 according to Peul sources.

After an attack by suspected jihadists from Yirgou-Foulbè, villagers of Mossi ethnicity, the majority in Burkina, had attacked the Peuls. President Roch Kaboré had moved to ease the tension.  

Sunday, "the SDF, deployed on the two sites ensure the evacuation of the wounded and carry out sweeping operations", according to the press release. 

These two deadly attacks come after that of a convoy of traders Friday also in the North (Loroum). "The provisional assessment makes state of 15 dead, wounded and missing persons", according to a press release Saturday from the government, which speaks of "terrorists".

With AFP

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