Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Burkina’s army and civilian militias staved off an attack on Thursday on the northern city of Djibo, which is blockaded by armed groups, locals and security sources told AFP.
“Early this morning, several dozen armed men tried to enter the city before being repelled,” a resident told AFP by phone.
“There was heavy weapon fire. Shots coming from the northeastern entrance to the city lasted a while” before normal life resumed, another local said.
A security source said there had been a “jihadist incursion that was brought under control”.
A group linked to Al-Qaeda known as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which is active in the area, said earlier on Thursday it had taken “control of several of the army’s military positions in the city of Djibo at dawn”.
No toll was available, although one resident interviewed said there had been “victims”.
This is not the first time Djibo has been targeted by armed groups, who are surrounding the city and other localities in Soum province, which borders Mali.
In October, medical NGO Doctors Without Borders suspended its activities in Djibo over security concerns.
The neighbouring town of Sebba, which is also being blockaded, on Wednesday received its first supplies for six months.
Supplies are delivered by convoys under military escort and are frequently targeted by armed groups.
Burkina Faso has faced a spiral of violence since 2015.
The attacks, which the authorities attribute to groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, have resulted in more than 26,000 deaths, according to ACLED, an NGO that records conflict victims worldwide.
The country has been governed since September 2022 by a military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traore.
He came to power in a coup and promised to resolve the security problem in “a few months”.
The authorities all but stopped reporting on jihadist attacks several months ago.
© Agence France-Presse
