Summary:
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In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Türk praised the decision of the authorities to look into the deaths, but he also said that the investigation should be “quick, thorough, fair, and clear.”
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The 28 bodies were discovered in the Boucle du Mouhoun area, in the northwest town of Nouna, in the Kossi Province.
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Local sources claim that the victims, all men, were killed when the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP), armed assistants to the defense and security forces, descended upon the town.
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This attack was allegedly carried out in retaliation for an earlier attack on the VDP’s military base the previous night by suspected members of the Jamaat Nurat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM) armed group during the years that Burkina Faso has been plagued by political instability, a string of terrible terrorist attacks has hit the country.
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Mr. Türk had already talked to the authorities about the possible threats to human rights from recruiting, equipping, and deploying auxiliaries in Burkina Faso.
In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Türk praised the decision of the authorities to look into the deaths, but he also said that the investigation should be “quick, thorough, fair, and clear.” “I have written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to repeat this clear message,” the High Commissioner said. No less is owed to the victims and their loved ones.
The 28 bodies were discovered in the Boucle du Mouhoun area, in the northwest town of Nouna, in the Kossi Province. Local sources say that the victims, all men, were killed when the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP), armed members of the defense and security forces, came to the town. This attack was allegedly carried out in retaliation for an earlier attack on the VDP’s military base the previous night by suspected members of the Jamaat Nurat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM) armed group
Burkina Faso’s government has been unstable for years due to terrible terrorist attacks. Because of the terrible humanitarian situation in the country, more than a million people have been forced to leave their homes. They are also victims of ongoing war and poverty.
When it started its investigation on January 2, the Burkina Faso transitional government said it is “fundamentally opposed to any kind of abuse or human rights violations on any basis” and reaffirmed its promise to protect all civilians equally.
Mr. Türk had already talked to the authorities about the possible threats to human rights from recruiting, equipping, and deploying auxiliaries in Burkina Faso.
The statement said they needed to change how they hire people, train people before they go on missions, how the security and defense forces keep an eye on things, and how they screen people.
