The number of women abducted in northern Burkina Faso could rise to 80
Arbinda, in the Sahel region, is regularly targeted by terrorist attacks.
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A witness working in the security of the locality of Arbinda reveals that in fact, three groups of women were kidnapped in Boukouma, Wourougoudou and Trignaen, that is to say about 80 people.
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Since Sunday, information has been circulating about the kidnapping of around fifty women, in two waves, Thursday and Friday, by terrorists in the locality of Arbinda, in northern Burkina Faso.
The information was confirmed by the Burkinabè authorities in a press release on Monday morning.
In reality, it would be in fact not two, but three groups of women who would have been kidnapped in three localities: Boukouma, Wourougoudou and Trignien.
That is about 80 people.
This resident who helps secure Arbinda explains that the women had gone out to pick fruit when they were kidnapped.
"
Forty-three inhabitants were first taken near Boukouma.
Then 18 others suffered the same fate in Wourougoudou, located west of Arbinda.
Finally, in a third village, called Trignien, the terrorists kidnapped a final group of 16 women.
One of them was able to escape.
In her testimony, she explained that the attackers took cattle, then the victims had to drive the animals into the bush while their captors followed them on motorbikes.
Arrived at Gnafo, the terrorists paused for prayer.
That's when she was able to escape.
A second abducted woman said that about fifteen victims had been taken to the locality of Dala, where the criminals slaughtered a goat, gave rice to the women to cook with.
She was able to escape during the preparation of the meal.
»
The governor of the Sahel region said the search was still ongoing.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Austrian Volker Türk, called for the "
immediate and unconditional release
" of the hostages.
Volker Türk said he was “
alarmed
” by this case which, according to him, could be “
the first attack of its kind deliberately targeting women
” in Burkina.
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To read also: Burkina Faso: in Arbinda, the population shocked after an abduction of women of an unprecedented scale
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