Ghana tomato traders among dead in Burkina Faso attack

Reports say at least 20 people were killed on Saturday in the northern town of Titao, Burkina Faso, in attacks claimed by JNIM – an Islamist militant group linked to al-Qaeda.

Among the dead were seven Ghanaians “burnt beyond recognition” who have yet to be identified, said Ghana’s Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak.

They were part of a team of tomato traders on a supply lorry targeted by the jihadists. Road access to the area remains blocked, according to Ghanaian officials trying to evacuate other citizens who survived, making it impossible for embassy staff to visit the area.

A spate of Islamist attacks have taken place in northern and eastern Burkina Faso in the past four days.

Burkina Faso’s military rulers – who came to power promising an end to the jihadist violence – have not confirmed an official death toll for this latest spate of killings.

But on Sunday, an army spokesman insisted the situation was under control.

“Multiple attacks took place on Saturday in the north of the country. Our forces demonstrated valour and professionalism, inflicting a heavy defeat on the terrorists and neutralising several dozen of them,” Lt Col Abdoul Aziz Ouedraogo said on state-run RTB the following day.

Ouedraogo said the attack followed recent military operations in the north and Sahel regions, which had forced militants to regroup westwards.

Describing the attack on Titao, witnesses said the attackers divided into three groups: one group targeted a military camp, another destroyed telephone facilities and a third looted and burnt shops and supply trucks.

According to unnamed security sources quoted by the AFP news agency, “hundreds” of armed jihadists overran the Titao camp leaving it partially destroyed. They are also quoted as saying militants carried out a major attack on a military detachment in the northern town of Nare. Neither of these reports has been confirmed by the government.

Titao’s military base is of particular concern because it is said to be one of the best-equipped within the Burkinabè army. Just two days earlier, French broadcaster RFI reports, suspected JNIM militants had seized control of Bilanga town in the east, killing 18 soldiers.

As of Monday, Ghana’s interior minister said he was engaged with Burkinabè authorities who planned on burying the dead, in the absence of embassy officials.

Some of the Ghanaian survivors would be asked to help, he added: “The women who sustained minor to no injuries have been asked to witness the burial of the dead to capture and document the process.”

He said the victims’ bodies had already begun to decompose.

According to the minister, Burkinabè authorities have offered military assistance to “create a safe passage to move the unharmed women and the injured to our mission in Ouagadougou after the burial”.

The tomato and onion truck drivers’ association says the attackers set the vehicle on fire after the driver allegedly tried to take cover.

The association has long called for enhanced safety for traders who embark on cross-border travels to countries like Burkina Faso to purchase tomatoes and onions.

Eric Tuffour said the latest incident highlights the enormous risks these traders endure in their quest to transport vegetables for sale in the country.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty