Fifteen people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church in the village of Essakane, located along the borders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
According to Burkina Faso’s Bishop of Dori Diocese, Laurent Birfuoré Dabiré, militants attacked the few remaining faithful in the area. Jihadist groups are known to hide in the area, and many villagers have fled the area.
“The attack took place around 08.30 am on Sunday, February 25. The jihadists broke into the small village church where a Sunday Prayer Service was taking place -under the direction of the Catechist.
In fact, since 2018, the majority of the community of believers have been forced to flee due to the violence of jihadist groups. Few people are left who, in the absence of a permanent priest, gather on Sundays for a Prayer Service led by a Catechist.”