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Yembilima* wonders who now controls his land in eastern Burkina Faso. At the end of May, his commune Madjoari finally gave in, after a year of siege by the jihadists. “They attacked the military base, everyone fled, Madjoari has fallen into the hands of terrorists”saddens the elected official of this locality, which had some 15,000 inhabitants before the crisis.
On the road, about fifty people were executed while trying to escape. “The groups tied up the young men, took them into the bush and fired, only the women and the old men were spared”, assures this man who was able to speak with survivors. He reports that “fifty others” civilians are still missing.
The government has still not confirmed the toll of this attack, explaining that search operations are continuing to try to identify the victims. But if this number is proven, it would be one of the largest massacres perpetrated in a few months in Burkina Faso, where attacks have been almost daily in recent weeks.
After the hopes aroused by the army putsch against President Kaboré at the end of January, criticism is mounting against the country’s new strongman, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. These are commensurate with popular expectations and the promises to reconquer the territory made by the soldiers when they came to power.
An alarming humanitarian situation
Since the coup, Yembilima has been wondering more and more. “Did the soldiers really come to save us? We feel abandoned, it’s even worse than before, our whole area is occupied now”criticizes the former municipal councilor, who affirms that the army withdrew after the attack of May 19 against the garrison of Madjoari. “The fighters were very numerous and heavily armed, they burned the base, the soldiers were forced to flee”he assures.
The violence of the attacks recorded in recent weeks, some perpetrated for the first time with artillery and targeting regions hitherto spared from the attacks, worries. Jihadist groups are also increasing blockades of cities in the east and north of the country. The army sometimes tries to escort supply convoys but still fails to liberate these embargoed areas.
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