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In an attack on the village of Zaongo in Burkina Faso’s Centre-North region earlier this month, at least 70 civilians, predominantly children and the elderly lost their lives.

The assailants, who remain unidentified, launched the assault on November 5, causing widespread casualties and property damage. A judicial team dispatched on November 11 confirmed the death toll, although the full extent of injuries and missing persons is still unclear, as stated by a state prosecutor.

The brutal nature of the attack, where people were set on fire and had their limbs removed, has drawn attention to the severity of the violence in the region. The European Union has urged the Burkina Faso authorities to thoroughly investigate and clarify the circumstances surrounding the massacre, which they referred to as the loss of “nearly a hundred” civilians.

This incident is part of a larger crisis in West Africa, where several countries are grappling with a severe jihadist insurgency that originated in Mali in 2012. The conflict has escalated across the Sahel region, reaching coastal nations despite ongoing military efforts to counteract the militants.

The violence has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced over six million people.