Recently, a French government security assessment revealed a shocking death toll of up to 600 people in an August attack on the town of Barsalogho in Burkina Faso. The attack, carried out by militants from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al Qaeda affiliate based in Mali, stands as one of the deadliest single attacks in Africa in recent decades.
The militants mercilessly opened fire on civilians, including women and children, as they dug trenches to defend the town. Eyewitnesses described the horrific scene of villagers being shot down while trying to seek shelter in the trenches.
