“The security forces have disbanded and dispersed. Several survivors of the incident in Seytenga, Burkina Faso, told AFP how they were alone against the attackers, jihadists who, according to authorities, slaughtered at least 79 people.
According to these witnesses, the massacre began late Saturday in this town in northern Burkina Faso, just a few kilometers from Niger, in a region that is routinely hit by attacks carried out by Al Qaeda and Islamic State (EI) affiliates.
“Armed men arrived to take up positions, circle the settlement, and fire. Amadou, a refugee in Dori, a big town near Seytenga, claimed, “They even unlocked the doors of the houses to go in and execute.”
“The terrorists went from store to store, lighting fire to several of them. They opened fire on anyone who attempted to run. They spent the entire night in town “Another survivor, who did not want to be identified, agreed.
“My family and I escaped into the jungle as soon as the shooting began on Saturday night. We spent the night there before heading to Dori on Sunday morning. We didn’t take anything with us, and when we found out that the houses had been burned down, we lost everything “another person stated.
Some, like Fatimata, who is holding a small child, have yet to hear from their loved ones, particularly her brother.
“Did he wander off into the woods? Until now, we didn’t know. They robbed the houses and killed everyone they encountered, men and children alike. There were so many people that died. It is quite severe “, she says with a sigh.
As is common in this region, no one has claimed responsibility for the incident.
But, according to police, jihadists had previously assaulted Seytenga two days prior, on Thursday, killing eleven gendarmes.
“The security guys packed everything and left the next day (Friday), when the remains were lifted,” Amadou recalls.
“We sent a warning, and we requested at least one reinforcement to protect the helpless populace,” he says.
Two survivors who asked to remain anonymous back up his statements.
“On Friday, the gendarmerie retired to Dori, escorted by the army who had arrived as reinforcements,” explains the first. As a result, “many began to evacuate the town” in the absence of the gendarmerie, according to another source.
Following the attack on Thursday, the Burkinabe army claimed to have killed 40 militants. The jihadists reportedly returned to attack Seytenga on Saturday to avenge their deaths, according to the Burkinabe officials.
Despite the bloodshed, some people remain hopeful of returning to Seytenga.
“We have nowhere to stay or eat in Dori. We’re at a loss on what to do. We only ask that you assist us in returning to our village. We request that the authorities ensure that we are able to return to our normal routines “Amadou begs for mercy.
After the June 2021 attack on the town of Solhan, also in the north near Niger, where 132 people were killed according to the government, 160 according to local reports, the Seytenga attack is the second deadliest in Burkina Faso.
Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the country’s new strongman who deposed elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré at the end of January on grounds of ineffectiveness in dealing with jihadist violence, had promised to make security a “priority” for him.
Thousands of people have died and almost two million have been displaced in Burkina Faso as a result of Islamist strikes since 2015.
