The government of Burkina Faso announced last Monday that 28 people were killed in Nouna in the north-west of the country during the night of 30 to 31 December and an investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances of this tragedy and to determine who is responsible while calling on the people to remain calm.
The Collective against Impunity and Stigmatisation of Communities (CISC), a human rights organisation, points the finger at the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), army auxiliaries.
The victims were all men who were killed by bullets, according to a statement by the prosecutor of the Nouna region, Armel Sama.
The government spokesman, Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, noted that this attack undermined the efforts of the government, which had mobilised all citizens for united action in the fight against terrorism.
It should be noted that Burkina Faso has been confronted since 2015 with attacks by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which are multiplying, causing thousands of deaths.