OUAGADOUGOU, Aug 31 (Reuters) – A survivor of the recent massacre in central Burkina Faso, which claimed hundreds of lives, described the horrifying experience of searching through piles of bodies to find her brothers, in an interview following the attack. The massacre, which was one of the deadliest in nearly a decade of Islamist violence in the country, has been claimed by an Al Qaeda-linked group.
The 38-year-old woman, who fled the violence with her toddler, shared her story with an aid worker in Kaya, a town where many survivors have sought refuge. The woman, whose identity has been withheld for her safety, recounted the grim task of recovering the bodies of her brothers. “We went out with carts to collect the bodies of my older brothers,” she said. “We spent a long time going through bodies piled up under trees.”
The massacre occurred on Saturday near the town of Barsalogho. The military had ordered local men to dig defensive trenches, while women and children were sent to clear vegetation to improve visibility for the soldiers. The attackers, whom the woman referred to as “bushmen,” struck at around 10 a.m., targeting both soldiers and civilians. The violence continued until drones arrived overhead later in the day. It took survivors three days to collect the bodies.
An Al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they targeted soldiers and militia members and killed nearly 300 people, whom they described as fighters. However, videos released by the militants on social media showed over 100 bodies in a trench, most of them in civilian clothing. Reuters verified the location of the videos using satellite imagery.
The woman reported that civilians, soldiers, and volunteer army auxiliaries known as VDPs were among those killed. One family lost 30 members, while another was entirely wiped out. Although the ruling junta has not provided an official death toll, it acknowledged that civilians were among the victims.
The survivor described the scene as “horrible,” with “dead bodies and blood everywhere.” She expressed concern for her mental health, saying, “I am no longer sure that I am normal. I have not been sleeping well since I was displaced here.”
The massacre has sparked outrage, with a local civil society group, Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho, condemning the government’s response. The group criticized the authorities for sending civilians to their deaths by forcing them to dig trenches that became their graves. “Every single family is in mourning. The youth has been decimated,” the group said in a statement.
The bloodshed underscores the growing dangers in Burkina Faso, where the government increasingly relies on civilians to combat jihadist groups. Over 6,500 civilians have been killed since 2020, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.
