2023 Diapaga attacks

Last updated
2023 Diapaga attacks
Part of Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
Location Diapaga, Burkina Faso
Attack type
Mass shooting
Deaths15+
Perpetrators Jihadists (suspected)

On November 21, 2023, a mass shooting occurred in Diapaga, Burkina Faso, when coordinated and synchronized attacks that killed at least 15, predominately civilians. These attacks, believed to be perpetrated by jihadists, targeted two neighborhoods in Diapaga, inflicting casualties including three Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP, civilian auxiliaries to the army) and twelve civilians. [1]

Schools, markets, and public services in the region were suspended to honor the victims. [2] The town observed a day of 'ville morte' (dead city) as a tribute. The victims were buried at the Diapaga municipal cemetery. [3]

A security source confirmed that the defense forces counteracted the attack, reportedly neutralizing several dozen assailants and conducting an ongoing air-land operation in the eastern region that had neutralized over fifty terrorists and dismantled several bases. The attack was a flashpoint in a larger conflict that has been ongoing since 2015, attributed to jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. [1]

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Diapaga is a city in, and the capital of, Tapoa Province, situated in eastern Burkina Faso. The main ethnic group in the city are the Gourmantché. It is a major centre for health services in the region. The W Park militant group of Burkina Faso are reported to have their headquarters in the town.

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On December 24, 2019, militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara attacked the Burkinabe government military base in Arbinda, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso along with the town of Arbinda itself. The attack was halted due to French and Burkinabe air intervention, although 35 civilians were killed in the jihadists' massacre. The Arbinda attack was the deadliest incident in the jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso in several years.

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Since 2015, the border area between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger has been a hotbed for jihadist forces originating from Mali. The insurgency has taken place in two distinct regions of Niger. In southwest, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and the Nusrat al-Islam have carried out attacks in the tri-border area with Burkina Faso and Mali. Meanwhile, in the southeast, the Islamic State in the West African Province has established control in parts of southern Niger.

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The Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland is an armed self-defense group in Burkina Faso created to fight jihadist insurgents. It is an auxiliary force supporting the Burkina Faso Armed Forces.

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Events in the year 2023 in Mali.

On October 13, 2022, an IED hit a civilian bus travelling along the Bandiagara-Goundaka highway in rural Mali, killing 10 civilians and injuring dozens more. The attack was alleged to be coordinated by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).

On April 24, 2022, militants from Katibat Macina attacked Malian Army bases in the cities of Sévaré, Niono, and Bapho, all in central Mali's Mopti Region. The attacks killed fifteen soldiers and six civilians.

On January 11, 2023, unknown jihadists killed nine civilians at a mosque in Goulgountou, Burkina Faso.

On August 8, 2024, a convoy of Burkinabe army vehicles headed to Fada N'Gourma from Diapaga were ambushed by militants from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), killing between 150 and 200 Burkinabe soldiers and militiamen. While the Burkinabe junta has not released a statement confirming the death toll, the attack marks the deadliest incident against Burkinabe soldiers since the start of the jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso.

References

  1. 1 2 "15 reported killed in 'simultaneous' Burkina weekend attacks". November 21, 2023 via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  2. Presse, AFP-Agence France. "15 Reported Killed In 'Simultaneous' Burkina Weekend Attacks". www.barrons.com.
  3. "Burkina: fifteen civilians killed in "simultaneous attacks" this weekend". Africanews. Lyon, France: Euronews. AFP. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.