Burkina Faso massacre: Save the Children calls for urgent investigation

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Save the Children had called for an urgent investigation in Burkina Faso into the massacre of at least 70 people, mostly children and elderly people.
Save the Children in a statement issued on Thursday said the attack took place in the village of Zaongo, 100kms (about 60 miles) north of the capital Ouagadougou on 5 November but has only just come to light in a statement shared by the Tribunal prosecutor of the City of Kaya.
“Kaya is home to a large number of internally displaced people. Across Burkina Faso about 2 million people have been uprooted by fighting, making it one of the worst internal displacement crises in Africa.”
Benoit Delsarte, Save the Children Country Director in Burkina Faso, said:
“This incident is a grave reminder that children bear the brunt of conflict and insecurity in Burkina Faso. Children only ask to live in a safe environment, where they can learn and live to their full potential. In this horrific attack, they were denied this simple request. And, For the children who survived, they will have witnessed their peers lose their lives, and their suffering may last for years.
“The perpetrators of these crimes against children must be held to account and brought to justice. Impunity for violations of children’s rights feed into the narrative that these crimes are acceptable and can create cycles of violence.
“Save the Children calls on the government of Burkina Faso to respond to all forms of violence, in all contexts, as this is essential to ensure children’s rights to survival, development and well-being. The seriousness of this incident requires that the competent authorities carry out investigations thoroughly with a view to identifying and bringing those responsible to justice.”