In a statement released on Sunday, the Burkinabe army announced the death of fifteen people, including 13 Burkinabe soldiers and two Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), in an attack on Saturday in eastern Burkina Faso.
In the afternoon of Saturday 29 October, a convoy on its way to Natiaboani, 45 km south of Fada N’Gourma, was caught up in a terrorist attack in the locality of Kikideni in the province of Gourma, Eastern Region.
“The fighting unfortunately cost the lives of 15 fighters, including 13 soldiers and two VDP. Four people were also wounded and eleven people are still being sought,” the Burkinabe army said in the statement. She added that reinforcements had been deployed to secure the area and conduct a sweep.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been facing an unprecedented security crisis marked by terrorist attacks that have resulted in numerous victims and thousands of internally displaced people. According to official statistics, more than 40% of the territory is beyond the control of the state.
This deteriorating security situation was the perfect motive for a group of soldiers led by Colonel Paul Henri Damiba to put an end to the current democratic regime on 24 January 2022 through a coup.
But as the terrorists continued to operate in several parts of the country, despite the army’s determination to do away with them, Damiba was also overthrown from power by another group of soldiers led by Captain Traoré on 30 September. The latter, adulated by the population, has already seen several terrorist attacks during his reign, resulting in victims not only among the population but also among the Burkinabe army. This has led to the recruitment of 50,000 volunteer fighters for the defence of the homeland (VDP) to support the army in the fight against terrorism. The recruitment was launched about a fortnight ago and is still in effect in the country.
