More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso
The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, occurred early Sunday, said an aid worker actively involved in dialogues in Burkina Faso's hard-hit communities. A student from the area said her father was among those killed.
Both individuals spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals.
A jihadi group aligned with Al-Qaida known as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin or JNIM, which is active in the Sahel region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack.
____
McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal
____
Follow AP's Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Settler attack leaves properties in flames in Al Mughayyir village in West Bank
Residents of Al Mughayyir, in the Israeli occupied West Bank, said settlers attacked the place on Saturday setting fire to a car and properties in and near the village.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sudan army torturing people to death, claims rights group
A prominent Sudanese human rights group has accused the country's army and security forces of torturing people to death and operating "execution chambers". The Emergency Lawyers group said it had documented hundreds of arrests in the capital Khartoum. It said that in the "worst cases", some captives had later been found dead with evidence of torture. The Sudanese army recaptured the city from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in March, against which it is fighting a bitter civil war that has killed tens of thousands in two years. The army did not respond to the BBC's request for comment on Sunday. Throughout the war, the Emergency Lawyers group has documented atrocities by both the army and the RSF. Sudan war: A simple guide to what is happening 'Tortured and terrified' - BBC witnesses the battle for Khartoum In a statement on social media platform X, Emergency Lawyers said it had observed a "dangerous escalation in violations". Some detainees were arrested at random and taken to large detention centres, the group alleged. "Their fates range from continued detention in inhumane conditions, trials conducted by security agencies that lack the most basic standards of justice, or release in poor health," the statement said. "In the worst cases, some are found dead after being killed or declared dead as a result of torture." The use of torture was common during the oppressive rule of president Omar al-Bashir. Throughout the current war, the RSF have also been found to have abused and executed prisoners. The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan said in March that both sides were responsible for "a widespread pattern of arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of detainees". It said both both the RSF and the army had used "rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, as well as torture and ill-treatment". The fighting has sparked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises - 12 million people have been forced from their homes and famine has been declared in parts of the country. Last week, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the war has fuelled the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years. There have been nearly 100,000 cases of the disease and 2,470 deaths over the past year. More BBC stories on the war in Sudan: 'Our children are dying': Rare footage shows plight of civilians in besieged Sudan city Oil-rich Sudanese region becomes new focus of war between army and rival forces The two generals at the heart of the conflict Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Terrified man told 'get on your knees bruv' during brutal axe attack
A terrified man was told "get on your knees bruv" as thugs "took the law into their own hands" and carried out a brutal attack. The vigilantes punched and kicked the victim - who they believed had stolen a £6,500 quad bike - and one of them threatened "I will kill you" as they wielded the axe. Following the attack, the victim was taken to hospital where he was treated for a 4-5cm wound to the back of his head, swelling to his scalp and bruising to his head. READ MORE: Struggling mum requests bigger council house as family-of-seven crammed into three-bed home READ MORE: Posh Midlands town named as one of the worst places to live in the country Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told that Lewis Tether, 26, was angry after his quad bike was stolen, and believed a man in Biddulph was responsible for the theft. Along with Samuel Clarke, 25, and another man, Tether went after him on January 8, finding him with friends at Church Road playing fields in Biddulph. The group ran off but the Clarke caught up with the victim and said: "Get on your knees bruv, I am here for the blue quad". StokeonTrentLive reports that Tether arrived wielding an axe and hit the victim eight times to his head, back and ribs before delivering a kick and punch. Clarke kicked the victim once and punched him four times before noticing the assault was being captured on a Ring doorbell and discarding it to the floor. The court heard the defendants were identified from CCTV. Hamish Noble, mitigating for Tether, said his client was remorseful and the offence was "out of character". Meanwhile Paul Cliff, representing Clarke, said the dad-of-four was "bitterly disappointed with himself". Tether, of Moston Street, Birches Head, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in public. He was jailed for four years. Clarke, of Church Close, Biddulph, was locked up for three years and nine months after he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. His plea was on the basis that he was not in possession of a bladed article. Tether must serve two-thirds of his sentence with the rest on licence, while Clarke must serve up to half of his term with the rest on licence In a victim statement, the victim revealed the attack left him depressed and he no longer goes out. He added: "I just hope that the pain eases and I can try to get my life back to how it was." Recorder Robert Smith told the pair: "He was utterly terrified by your coordinated group attack. "Tether threatened with the axe, 'I will kill you'. You hit him eight times to the head, back and rib area and punched him once and kicked him once. Clarke you kicked once and punched four times. "Tether, you told the police, 'If you did your job right, people would not have to take the law into their own hands'. "This was a nasty vigilante attack. You thought the victim was responsible for the theft of a quad bike belonging to Tether. "There is a certain irony because Tether, you are a professional vehicle thief. "You took the law into your own hands in circumstances when it was far from clear who was responsible for the theft of your quad bike. You should have called the police. "Clarke, you were a willing and enthusiastic participant."
