Bourasso and Namissiguima massacres
{{Short description|July 2022 terror attack}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Bourasso and Namissiguima massacres
| location = Bourasso, Kossi Province and Namissiguima, Yatenga, Burkina Faso
| date = July 2–4, 2022
| partof = Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
| fatalities = Total: 34 killed (per Burkinabe government)[https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2022-07/burkina-faso-deaths-terrorist-attacks-northern.html Burkina Faso: Death toll rises from suspected jihadist attacks], vaticannews.va, 2022-07-05
Bourasso: 22 killed (per Burkinabe government)[https://www.voaafrique.com/a/burkina-au-moins-27-morts-dans-deux-attaques-de-jihadistes-pr%C3%A9sum%C3%A9s/6644150.html Au moins 27 morts dans deux attaques de jihadistes présumés au Faso], voaafrique.com, 2022-07-04 (French)
30+ killed (per local officials)[https://www.churchinneed.org/burkina-faso-murdered-in-front-of-their-church/ Burkina Faso: Murdered in front of their church], churchinneed.org, 2022-07-05
Namissiguima: 12 killed (per Burkinabe government)
9 killed (per local officials)[https://www.aa.com.tr/fr/afrique/burkina-faso-9-morts-dont-6-suppl%C3%A9tifs-de-larm%C3%A9e-dans-une-attaque-dans-le-nord/2630438 Burkina Faso : 9 morts dont 6 supplétifs de l'armée dans une attaque dans le nord], aa.com.tr, 2022-07-05 (French)
| perpetrator = {{flagdeco|Islamic State}} Islamic State in the Greater Sahara
}}
{{Campaignbox Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso}}
In early July 2022, two separate massacres occurred in Bourasso, Kossi Province and Namissiguima Department, Yatenga Province in Burkina Faso. The massacre in Bourasso killed 22 people, and the one in Namissiguima killed 12.{{Cite news |date=2022-07-05 |title=Armed men kill at least 22 in north Burkina Faso attack |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/armed-men-kill-least-22-north-burkina-faso-attack-2022-07-04/ |access-date=2023-02-10}}
Prelude
Northern Burkina Faso has been a hub of jihadist activity since early 2015, with the provinces of Kossi and Yatenga each seeing lots of violence.{{Cite web |title=Five Zones of Militant Islamist Violence in the Sahel - Burkina Faso {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/five-zones-militant-islamist-violence-sahel |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}} The towns of Bourasso and Namissiguima, both some of the largest population centers in those areas, have been attacked and battled over numerous times. Prior to the June 30 attack, an attack on June 9 killed four policemen in Kossi and nine were killed in the neighboring province in Séno.{{Cite web |title=Eleven military policemen killed in northern Burkina Faso |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/10/attackers-kill-11-military-police-in-burkina-faso |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}} Jihadist attacks against civilians had risen since spring 2022, with dozens of attacks in the north of Burkina Faso.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-16 |title=Burkina Faso: Armed Islamists Kill, Rape Civilians |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/16/burkina-faso-armed-islamists-kill-rape-civilians |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=Human Rights Watch |language=en}}
Bourasso massacre
Around 5 pm on July 3, 2022, militants from Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) entered the town of Bourasso, firing in the air and leaving shortly after.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=A. C. N. |date=2022-07-05 |title=Burkina Faso: Murdered in front of their church |url=https://www.churchinneed.org/burkina-faso-murdered-in-front-of-their-church/ |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=Church in Need |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Armed men kill dozens in Burkina Faso attacks |url=https://www.trtworld.com/africa/armed-men-kill-dozens-in-burkina-faso-attacks-58569 |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=Armed men kill dozens in Burkina Faso attacks |language=en}} They returned later that night, threatening churchgoers and prompting arguments and confrontations in front of the local church. Passerby joined these arguments, as this instance was not the first time ISGS militants had entered Bourasso. ISGS then fired on civilians in front of the church, immediately killing 14. They then headed for the center of the village, killing another 20 inhabitants according to the local priest. Survivors of the massacre allege the death toll is over thirty, although the diocese of Nouna announced an official count of 22 dead. The governor of Boucle du Mouhoun region where Bourasso is located, Babo Pierre Bassinga, corroborated the death toll of 22 and claimed the wounded were sent to hospitals in Nouna and Dédougou.{{Cite web |last=Benshimon |first=Samuel |title=Burkina Faso : 22 morts dans l'attaque de Bourasso |url=https://sahel-intelligence.com/28127-burkina-faso-22-morts-dans-lattaque-de-bourasso.html |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=Sahel Intelligence |language=fr-FR}}
Namissiguia massacre
On July 2, 2022, an attack on Namissiguima in Yatenga Province killed around a dozen people.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-04 |title=At least 27 civilians killed by suspected extremists in Burkina Faso |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/07/04/At-least-15-civilians-killed-by-suspected-extremists-in-Burkina-Faso |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=Al Arabiya English |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=par Mafoi |title=Namissiguima/Yatenga : L'attaque du 2 juillet 2022 a fait 9 victimes - leFaso.net |url=https://lefaso.net/spip.php?article114515 |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=lefaso.net |language=fr}} In the attack, the Burkinabe government stated that six VDP civilian militiamen were killed, along with three civilians, although an anonymous local security source claimed the death toll was around twelve.{{Cite web |last=par Mafoi |title=Namissiguima/Yatenga : L'attaque du 2 juillet 2022 a fait 9 victimes - leFaso.net |url=https://lefaso.net/spip.php?article114515 |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=lefaso.net |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-04 |title=Dozens killed in two suspected jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20220704-dozens-killed-in-two-suspected-jihadist-attacks-in-burkina-faso |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=France 24 |language=en}} Following the attack, the Burkinabe government claimed to have clashed with the perpetrators near Barga-Mossi, Burkina Faso, killing seven jihadists and wounding an unknown amount more.{{Cite web |date=July 4, 2022 |title=Insécurité au Burkina : Sept terroristes neutralisés et Quatre personnes tuées à Namissiguima |url=https://maliactu.net/insecurite-au-burkina-sept-terroristes-neutralises-et-quatre-personnes-tuees-a-namissiguima/ |access-date=February 13, 2023 |website=Maliactu}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{coord missing|Burkina Faso}}
Category:Massacres of the jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
Category:2022 murders in Burkina Faso
Category:Terrorist incidents in Burkina Faso in 2022
Category:Church massacres in Africa
Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2022
Category:July 2022 crimes in Africa
Category:2022 mass shootings in Africa
Category:Mass shootings in Burkina Faso
Category:ISIL terrorist incidents in Africa
Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2022
Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in Burkina Faso