Burkina Faso pays tribute to the 27 soldiers who died in Gaskindé
Audio 01:22
At the Gounghin cemetery in Ouagadougou this Sunday, October 8, the funeral of 27 soldiers who fell in Gaskindé during the jihadist attack on the supply convoy for Djibo on September 26, 2022, © Sidy Yansané/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The soldiers who fell in Gaskindé on September 26 following the attack on the supply convoy of the town of Djibo, were buried this Saturday in the military square of the municipal cemetery of Gounghin.
Several hundred people came to pay tribute to these young soldiers who died in combat.
A military ceremony which took place in the Sangoulé Lamizana camp, in the presence of the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traoré and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
All fallen soldiers were posthumously awarded the Medal of Military Honor.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Ouagadougou,
Yaya Boudani
Inconsolable families and hundreds of young people who, despite the pain, busy themselves either emptying the water from the graves, or shovels in hand, covering the coffins.
Beyond the pain, these families salute the sacrifice of all these fallen soldiers.
"
The whole family is in shock,
" says a relative.
I still tell myself that we have to go beyond this sadness.
It's true, they are young people, but the feeling that drove them was to give their lives for this country.
»
“
We are very saddened, there are no words in fact to express what we feel in the face of all this massacre,
deplores a young woman.
Ludovic Ouédraogo, who agreed to sacrifice himself so that these civilians who were on the ground could continue to live, it is in fact a source of pride for us.
»
A military ceremony in tribute to the 27 soldiers took place in the presence of Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
They were posthumously awarded the Medal of Military Honor.
But the grieving families or friends of these fallen soldiers are waiting for measures so that Burkina does not relive such a situation again.
“
We hope this is the last time we bury our young soldiers.
When, when will the carnage end?
But really, it hurts, it hurts.
»
“
Me in particular, this is the third time I've been here.
The right decisions must be made so that we can put an end to this story of terrorism.
»
These soldiers were killed while escorting a supply convoy from the town of Djibo on 26 September.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Burkina Faso