Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
BosNewsLife
Suspected Islamic gunmen interrupted a weekly worship service at a Protestant church in northern Burkina Faso, killing 24 people, authorities confirmed late on Monday. Another 18 people were wounded in Sunday’s attack in Pansy town in Yagha province, the regional governor said.
“The armed terrorists attacked the peaceful local population, after having identified them and separated them from non-residents,” added Governor Col Salfo Kaboré in published remarks. “The provisional toll is 24 killed, including the pastor…18 wounded and individuals who were kidnapped.”
Pastor Omar Tindano (left) and Deacon Lankoandé Babilibilé (right) who are among those Christians killed in Burkina Faso this month. PICTURE: Via Open Doors
Authorities said some 20 attackers separated men and women close to the church in Pansy. The church building was burned down, and several people were yet to be accounted for, according to Christians familiar with the situation.
The gunmen reportedly also looted oil and rice from shops and forced three youth they kidnapped to help transport it on their motorbikes. A resident of the nearby town of Sebba, whose name was not identified for security reasons, said Pansy villagers had fled there for safety.
It was the latest in an escalation of Islamic extremist attacks against devoted Christians and moderate Muslims in the area in recent days. Last week, also in Yagha province, evangelical church leaders and several family members were killed, aid workers confirmed.
On 10th February, suspected Islamic militants in Sebba seized seven people at the home of a pastor.
“In the early hours of February 11, the deacon of the Evangelical SIM Church, Lankoandé Babilibilé, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in Sebba…” said well-informed advocacy group Open Doors. “His car was stolen and used to abduct Pastor Omar Tindano of the same church, along with two of Omar’s daughters, his son and two nephews. Yesterday, the news broke that Omar, his son, and his nephews had all been executed,” the group explained.
“His daughters were released, physically unharmed, on the same day,” Open Doors added. All five bodies have been recovered, local authorities said.
Lankoandé helped establish the first churches in the Sebba region, while Omar was the president of the Sebba region of the Evangelical Church denomination, Open Doors confirmed. Separately, shooters reportedly attacked an evangelical church in the eastern town of Nagnounbougou. At least two believers were killed in that attack, Christians said.
At the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed concern about the attacks. He urged prayer for the victims after making a similar request and appeal for interreligious dialogue in Burkina Faso in November, following an attack that killed or injured scores of people.
Church observers and activists say attacks against civilians, including Christians, are increasing “at an alarming rate” in the West African nation.
Open Doors said Burkina Faso now ranks 28th on its annual World Watch List of 50 nations where it is most challenging to be a Christian.
Violent attacks account for this enormous rise, it stressed.
“Christians in these areas require urgent prayer and support,” said Illia Djadi, an Open Doors senior analyst on freedom of religion or belief in sub-Saharan Africa. “They are traumatised and don’t know how to handle all this violence. Even close friends and members of SIM church are reluctant to share details with reporters, fearing further targeting.”
Open Doors investigators noted a climate of fear for believers in Burkina Faso.
The advocacy group Human Rights Watch West Africa said: “Perpetrators use victims’ links to government or their faith to justify the killings.”
Others “appear to be reprisal killings for killings by the government security forces,” it added.
Nearly 4,000 people were killed in jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso and neighbouring Mali and Niger last year, according to United Nations estimates.
Observers say more than 1,300 civilians were killed in targeted attacks 2019 in Burkina Faso, more than seven times in the previous year.
The insecurity has created a humanitarian crisis with an estimated over 760,000 internally displaced people in the Muslim-majority nation. Refugees also face other challenges as Burkina Faso is an impoverished nation, even by West African standards. The landlocked country of 21 million people has also suffered from recurring droughts and military coups.
French-educated Roch Marc Kabore, who served as Prime Minister and speaker of parliament under veteran President Blaise Compaore, won the November, 2015 presidential election, with promises of reforms.
But concerns over the economy and rights violations have overshadowed Kabore’s pledges to introduce changes in Burkina Faso, which means “land of honest men”, and has significant reserves of gold.
– With STEFAN J BOS
