Al-Qaeda-linked rebels killed at least 40 civilians while attempting to take control of a besieged town in Burkina Faso's hard-hit northern region.
The United Nations Human Rights Office characterized the Saturday attack as a war crime, saying it occurred near Mali's border in Djibo.
As per the Associated Press, the West African nation was facing one of the biggest conflicts in recent memory, with fighters affiliated with the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda posing a threat.
The town, which is 130 miles (210 kilometers) from Ouagadougou, the capital, has been under rebel blockade for more than a year and frequently struggles to provide basic services.
Additionally, the militants responsible for the most recent attack on Sunday left 42 injured and destroyed three camps that housed internally displaced people. The UNHRO spokesperson, Seif Magango, attributed the attack to JNIM, a loose alliance of armed groups that support al-Qaeda, in a statement released on Tuesday.
“Deliberately targeting civilians or individuals not taking direct part in hostilities constitutes a war crime,” the UN department said, citing reports from its workers on the ground.
“Attacks on civilians are inexcusable and must stop, and those responsible must be held to account following thorough, impartial and independent investigations by the authorities,” the UN statement added.
The government still has no authority over about half of Burkina Faso's land. Jihadi attacks have devastated the landlocked nation. The stability of the nation that saw two coups last year is further threatened by the thousands of fighters killed and the more than two million people who have been displaced.
