Dozens Killed In Mosque Attack Amidst Rising Insurgency in Burkina Faso.

By Caroline Ameh

Dozens of individuals were shot dead during an early-morning prayers at a mosque in Natiaboani town, Burkina Faso on the same day a church was attacked, according to authorities.

The assailants, reportedly Islamist fighters, encircled the mosque during prayers, targeting Muslim worshippers, predominantly men, as recounted by a local resident to AFP news agency.

The attack unfolded amidst a backdrop of escalating insurgency, with over a third of Burkina Faso currently under insurgent control. Reports indicate that the gunmen, armed with machine guns and riding motorbikes, also targeted soldiers and a local self-defence militia on the same day.

While Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch claimed to have seized an army barracks in Natiaboani, independent verification of this claim is lacking. Notably, the group made no mention of the mosque attack. Unverified social media reports suggest a higher death toll than officially reported.

Natiaboani, situated in the troubled eastern region of Burkina Faso, is known for the presence of multiple armed groups. Simultaneously, in Essakane in the northeast, at least 15 worshippers were killed in an attack on a Catholic church during Sunday mass. Suspected Islamist militants were cited as responsible by a church official.

Though no formal link has been established between the two attacks, speculation arises as Burkina Faso’s L’Observateur Paalga newspaper questions the possibility of a coordinated plot. Notably, attacks on religious figures are not uncommon in the country, with instances like the ongoing disappearance of a priest abducted five years ago and the kidnapping and subsequent death of Djibo’s main imam in 2021.

Burkina Faso faces severe humanitarian challenges, with years of rampant insecurity displacing over two million people and resulting in widespread malnutrition, particularly among children. Despite a military coup promising to combat insurgents two years ago, violence persists, highlighting the enduring crisis in the region.