Kaya – A devastating attack in the village of Zaongo, located in the commune of Boala, approximately 60 kilometers from Boulsa in Burkina Faso’s North Central region, has resulted in the death of seventy people, as reported by the Prosecutor of Faso at the Kaya High Court, Simon B. Gnanou.

According to Burkina Information Agency, 2023, the incident was first reported to the Commander of the Territorial Gendarmerie Brigade of Boulsa on November 7, concerning the killings that allegedly occurred on November 5, 2023. Following this report, an investigative team was assembled and dispatched to the site on November 11.

This team, comprising the Faso Prosecutor at the Kaya High Court, a substitute military prosecutor, a military investigating judge, elements of the Special Anti-terrorist Investigation Brigade, and the Kaya Gendarmerie Research Section, conducted initial examinations at the scene. They were escorted by defense and security forces, including the Rapid Intervention Battalions (BIR) and a detachment from the Boulsa gendarmerie, to ensure safe access to the area.

Preliminary findings from the investigation reveal that the victims predominantly consisted of children and elderly individuals, both men and women. Additionally, several homes in the village were either burned or partially destroyed.

Further investigations, including interviews with the victims’ relatives and the injured, are underway to ascertain the exact number of fatalities, injured, and potentially missing persons. At this stage, the identity of the attackers remains unknown, and efforts to identify them are ongoing.

The Prosecutor’s office extended its deepest condolences to the families affected by this tragedy and wished a swift recovery to those injured. The statement also commended the defense and security forces for their efforts in facilitating access to the site by clearing improvised explosive devices and repelling an attack on the convoy during the investigation.