The ECOWAS Commission says it has learned with shock of the death of around fifty soldiers and Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) following fighting against armed groups in the locality of Koumbri, northern Burkina Faso, on September 4 2023.
Burkina Faso has been battling armed groups, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, in its desert north since 2015.
Attacks have worsened this year, making the country the epicentre of a violent movement that has also engulfed poverty-stricken Mali and Niger, killing thousands and forcing millions from their homes.
The latest fighting in Burkina Faso took place on Monday in Yatenga province, where the army has been trying to reconquer territory to allow displaced villagers to return home, the statement said. Operations were still under way in the area.
The ECOWAS Commission extended “its condolences to the bereaved families and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.”
“The Commission condemns the terrorist attacks and expresses its solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso”, a statement on Tuesday stated.
