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☆ Burkina Faso army executed over 220 villagers in February, HRW says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —Burkina Faso’s military in February summarily executed about 223 villagers, including at least 56 children, as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday. The spokesperson for the Burkina Faso government did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the HRW report. Retaliatory attacksRights groups have previously accused the military in junta-ruled Burkina Faso of attacking and killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants in retaliatory operations. Burkina Faso is one of several Sahel nations that have been struggling to contain Islamist insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that have spread from neighboring Mali since 2012, killing thousands and displacing millions. Frustrations over authorities’ failure to protect civilians have contributed to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020.

Persons: Witnesses, HRW, Tirana Hassan, Mali’s Organizations: Reuters, Burkina, jihadist, Human Rights Watch, Ouahigouya, HRW, Facebook, Burkina Faso, Authorities, Rights Watch, Burkinabe, African Union, United Nations, Islamic Locations: Burkina Faso’s, Yatenga, Burkina Faso, Komsilga, Burkina, Nodin, Soro, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Mali, Niger

☆ Around 170 ‘executed’ in three Burkina Faso villages, public prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Nimi Princewill | Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Around 170 people have been “executed” in attacks on three villages in Burkina Faso’s northern Yatenga province, the regional public prosecutor has said. Aly Benjamin Coulibaly said in a statement on Friday that his office was initially informed of the “massive murderous attacks” in the villages of Komsilga, Nodin and Soroe on February 25. At least 15 Muslims and 15 Catholics were killed when “hordes of terrorists launched simultaneous attacks” on Tankoualou and Essakane villages, the government press agency Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB) reported last week. Large areas of the north and east of Burkina Faso have become ungovernable since 2018. Millions have fled their homes, fearing further raids by gunmen who frequently descend on rural communities on motorbikes.

Persons: Aly Benjamin Coulibaly, Coulibaly Organizations: CNN, Agence d’Information du Burkina, AIB, European Union, Islamic Locations: Burkina Faso’s, Yatenga province, Komsilga, Soroe, West, Mali, Sahel, Burkina Faso

☆ Burkina Faso: Four officers arrested after thwarted coup attempt, prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Martin Goillandeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Four army officers were arrested in Burkina Faso, a military prosecutor said, a day after the country’s ruling military junta announced it had thwarted a coup attempt. Two other officers were “on the run,” according to a statement from the public prosecutor’s office at the military court in Ouagadougou, the capital city. Burkina Faso’s military junta said in an earlier statement that intelligence and security services had foiled a “proven coup attempt” on Wednesday. “A number of officers and other alleged actors involved in this destabilization attempt have been arrested, while others are being actively sought,” the statement said. Earlier this month, Burkina Faso’s military leaders signed a mutual defense pact with the juntas in Mali and Niger.

Persons: Captain Ibrahim Traore, “, ”, Traore Organizations: CNN, Junta Locations: Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, Burkina, West African, Mali, Niger, Sahel

☆ Burkina Faso junta suspends French magazine over ‘untruthful’ articles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Burkina Faso’s military junta on Monday suspended the French news magazine Jeune Afrique for publishing “untruthful” articles that reported tension and discontent within the country’s armed forces, it said in a statement. Jeune Afrique’s suspension marks the latest escalation in a crackdown on French media since the West African country fell under military rule last year. A soured relationshipRelations between Burkina Faso and its former colonizer France have soured since frustrations over worsening insecurity linked to a jihadist insurgency spurred two military takeovers last year. In April, two French journalists working for newspapers Le Monde and Liberation were expelled from the country. Liberation said the suspension was unjustified as the two journalists were of “perfect integrity” and had all their paperwork in order.

Persons: Jeune, Liberation Organizations: Reuters, Burkina, Jeune Afrique, Afrique, Radio France, TF1, Le Monde, Liberation Locations: Burkina Faso, France, French, Sahel

☆ Hugues Fabrice Zango: Triple-jumper wins Burkina Faso’s first gold medal at World Athletics Championships
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango made history on Monday by winning his nation’s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships with victory in the triple jump. “Look at my big, big, big smiling mouth,” Zango told reporters, per Reuters. 2 Zango has been flirting with winning gold for quite some time. He won bronze at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, before picking up silver at the 2022 edition. He also won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2022.

Persons: Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango, ” Zango, “, Zango, ” Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez, Cristian Napoles Organizations: CNN, Burkina, Reuters, Tokyo Locations: Budapest, Hungary

☆ Fact Check-Video of Burkina Faso leader being welcomed by people dates to 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Army captain Traore was named the country’s transitional president on Oct. 14, two weeks after he seized power in Burkina Faso's second coup of 2022, Reuters reported (here). “The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, received a hero's welcome on his return from Russia. #BurkinaFaso #Niger #Mali #Guinea #Russia #Africa #panafricanism,” reads a Facebook post sharing the video (here). But the clip can be traced back to October 2022 when it was uploaded to AFP’s YouTube channel with the title: “Burkina Faso military captain parades in Ouagadougou” (here) (timestamp 0:11). Video does not show people welcoming Burkina Faso leader following his return from the 2023 Russia-Arica summit.

Persons: Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Traore, “, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Read Organizations: Reuters, YouTube Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Burkina, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Guinea, Ouagadougou ”, Arica

Niamey, Niger CNN —Niger’s armed forces have been bringing in reinforcements to the capital to prepare for a potential invasion, a military source told CNN, just hours after the military junta running the country refused to abide by an influential regional bloc’s deadline to cede power. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responded days later by enacting sanctions and issuing an ultimatum to the ruling military junta: stand down within a week or face a potential military intervention. A junta leader said Sunday that Niger’s armed forces would be closing the country’s airspace due to the threat of military intervention. Wagner forces have been contracted to help local defense forces against rebellions and insurgencies, and suppress opposition. Both countries are sending delegations to Niger’s capital Niamey, “in solidarity with the people of Niger,” according to the Malian Armed Forces.

Persons: Niger CNN —, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, insurgencies, Wagner, “, ”, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: Niger CNN, CNN, West African States, National Council for, French Foreign Ministry, Nigerien, Malian Armed Forces, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Niamey, Niger, France, United States, Russia, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, “, ”, Burkina

“I write this as a hostage,” Bazoum wrote in the Washington Post. Bazoum also cautioned that foreign aid makes up 40% of the national budget – and it would not be delivered if the coup succeeds. ‘Determined, optimistic’CNN has not been able to independently confirm the conditions under which Bazoum is being detained in his residence. Bazoum also warned of growing Russian influence in the Sahel region. “With an open invitation from the coup plotters and their regional allies, the entire central Sahel region could fall to Russian influence via the Wagner Group,” Bazoum wrote.

Persons: CNN —, Mohamed Bazoum, ” Bazoum, ”, –, Bazoum, “, ‘, Idrissa Waziri, he’s, ” Waziri, Waziri, Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiani, he’d, Wagner, Russia’s Wagner, Salifou Mody, Joe Biden, Patrick Ryder, evacuates Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Burkina, junta, Nigerien, Wagner, Pentagon, US Defense Department Locations: Washington, Niamey, United States, West, “ Niger, Niger, Europe, France, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sahel

CNN —General Salifou Mody, one of the Niger officers who seized power in a military coup last week, visited Mali on Wednesday, according to the Mali presidency, amid speculation of a possible interest in the Wagner mercenary group, which has a presence in the country. Mali’s transitional president, Assimi Goïta, hosted Mody and a large Nigerien military delegation on Wednesday, according to pictures and a statement posted on Facebook by the Mali presidency. Hundreds of Wagner contractors are stationed in Mali at the invitation of the country’s military junta, to quell an Islamist insurgency brewing in an area where the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger meet. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin last week celebrated the coup in the landlocked West African country, saying his private military company could also help with situations like the one unfolding in Niger. US officials have warned that the Russian mercenary group could now seek new opportunities in Niger.

Persons: Salifou Mody, Wagner, Assimi, Mody, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Bazoum, Matt Miller, Miller, ”, Burkina Faso’s, Niger’s, Mohamed Bazoum Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, Facebook, National Council for, ”, Wednesday ., Central African, Economic, West African States Locations: Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, West, Western, France, Russian, “, Africa, histed, Wednesday . Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic, Sahel, Burkina, Guinea

☆ Opinion: With their leader still missing, who will control Wagner forces in Africa?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Joyce M. Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Wagner forces appear to despise the Russian military, as Prigozhin’s reckless march from Ukraine toward Moscow made abundantly clear. That’s why when Wagner forces started withdrawing from Ukraine last month, many feared the same might happen in Africa. And who can guarantee Wagner forces won’t turn on African leaders who decide to side with Putin? “Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere.”It’s not as if Russia could repatriate and replace Wagner forces with verifiably loyal Russian troops — even if it wanted to. And quite frankly, Africa will only emerge better-off if democratic governments emerge after Wagner forces are shown the door.

Persons: Joyce M, Davis, CNN —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladmir Putin, Dan Gleiter Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozihin, Putin wouldn’t, Khalifa Haftar, Faustin, Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Prigozhin, didn’t, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Assimi Goita, won’t, Haftar, ”, “, It’s, Sergey Kostelyanyets, ” Kostelyanyets, obeisance, Traore —, they’re, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, They’re, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Sudan’s, Wagner weren’t, Washington, Wagner “, there’s Organizations: Patriot -, World Affairs Council, CNN, Wagner Group, Wagner, Central African Republic, Burkina, Guardian, Libyan, Russian Academy of Sciences ’ Institute for African Studies, Newsweek, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Support Forces, Moscow, US Treasury Department, Twitter, Facebook, Central African Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Africa, Crimea, Ukraine, Moscow, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Russia, Eastern Libya, Russian, Benghazi, Dubai, Touadéra, Prigozhin, Central African Republic, United States

☆ U.S. Seeks Ways to Help Burkina Faso’s Military Junta Fight Jihadists
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Michael M. Phillips | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ACCRA, Ghana—The Biden administration is quietly helping Burkina Faso’s ruling junta battle al Qaeda and Islamic State in a hotly contested corner of West Africa, without running afoul of U.S. laws banning most security aid to military regimes. The U.S. has included Burkinabe commandos in American-led exercises, but excluded the West African country’s top officer from an international gathering of defense chiefs after a military takeover last year. The Pentagon has a team of U.S. Green Berets stationed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, but won’t allow them to train their beleaguered local counterparts.

☆ Fact Check-Clips of people fainting at public events are unrelated to COVID-19 vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video compilation of people fainting includes clips that either predate or are unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine. The footage, depictingAir Force Maj. Gen. James Martin Jr fainting, can be seen on CNN (here) and ABC 7News (here). It was taken in July 2020 and predates the COVID-19 vaccine rollout (here). All but two of the clips featured in this compilation predate the COVID-19 pandemic. The individuals portrayed in the two other videos, in April 2021 and July 2020, were not vaccinated at the time of filming.

☆ Burkina Faso coup: ECOWAS mediator 'satisfied' after meeting new military leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-05 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The mediator sent to Burkina Faso by West Africa’s main political and economic bloc ECOWAS, Mahamadou Issoufou, on Tuesday said he was satisfied by a meeting with the country’s new military leader Ibrahim Traore. Issoufou added that the 15-member bloc would continue accompanying Burkina Faso’s transition to constitutional rule after the country was hit by its second military takeover this year. “I can assure you that ECOWAS will remain with the people of Burkina Faso … and the difficult challenge they face,” he added. Burkina Faso’s government released a statement saying the meeting took place but provided no further comments. ECOWAS is struggling to facilitate a return to constitutional order in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, and Mali, all of which have seen coups since 2020.

☆ Ibrahim Traore: Who is the soldier behind Burkina Faso's latest coup?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Reuters —As a heavily armed convoy drove through a cheering crowd in Burkina Faso’s capital on Sunday morning, the boyish face of the country’s latest military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, emerged from the turret of an armored personnel carrier. Little is known about Traore and his colleagues, who since Friday have delivered statements on national television brandishing guns, ammunition belts, and masks. Army officers initially supported Damiba when he took power in his own coup in January, promising to defeat the Islamists. Growing Russian tiesMeanwhile, Russia has expressed support for the coup just as regional neighbors and western powers condemned it. “I salute and support Captain Ibrahim Traore,” read a statement from Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of private military company Wagner Group, which has operations across Africa, including in Burkina Faso’s neighbor Mali.

A new military takeover has been declared in Burkina Faso, after a day marked by gunfire and confusion in the capital city of Ouagadougou. In an announcement on state television late Friday, a Burkina Faso military official announced the dissolution of the current government and the dismissal of the junta leader, President Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. With the suspension of the constitution and government, this is Burkina Faso’s second military takeover in a year. “People of Burkina Faso, faced with the degradation of the security situation, we have attempted several times to refocus the transition on the issue of security,” Sorgho said. This week, unknown assailants killed eleven soldiers during an attack on a 150-vehicle convoy taking supplies to a town in northern Burkina Faso.

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