Catechists in Burkina Faso Throw Themselves in the Battlefield to Protect Christians against Islamist Attacks

Attacks have caused many deaths and significant material destruction on the Diocese’s Parishes of Piéla and Saatenga, in the East of the country, ACN has reported, adding, “These attacks form part of a pattern of terrorist violence which has been going on in the country since 2015.”

On October 20, Ziéla and Kombembgo, two villages served by Saatenga Parish in the Southeast of Fada N’Gourma, were attacked by about one hundred terrorists.

At Ziéla, where the terrorists are said to have appeared around 10 a.m., a Catechist’s house is said to have been set on fire and he barely survived as he was outside the village at the time of the attack.

While the inhabitants were going about their business after Sunday prayer, some shots were fired. The men immediately tried to flee and hide because, as local sources explained to ACN, the terrorists “principally attack men of fighting age, and not women, children or old people”.

However, one of the sources told ACN, “a young Christian girl who wanted to run away from her house tragically lost her life, killed in error, as the terrorists mistook her for an adult.” 

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The Catholic foundation has reported that the terrorists set fire to many houses belonging both to Christians and Muslims, adding that the targeted houses included one belonging to the Catechist, who was outside the village when the attack took place.

The Catechist’s wife, who had stayed home with their three young children, was mishandled, ACN reports, adding that their home was pillaged and then burned.

That same Sunday, October 20, Kombembgo, a village located 12 km from Saatenga, was likewise targeted by the terrorists. According to information gathered by ACN, three members of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP in French) and another civilian lost their lives during this attack.

Prior to this, Édouard Yougbaré, another Catechist in Pouargoguin, which is about seven kilometers from Saatenga, is said to have been brutally killed, leaving behind a widow and eight children.

Catechist Édouard’s last words, as quoted by ACN, were, “Lord Jesus, come and save me! Lord Jesus, come and save me!”

ACN reports that at the beginning of October, at least 150 people were killed by terrorists in Manni, in the same Catholic Diocese.

According to ACN, civilians who collaborate with the national armed forces, play a crucial role in the defence of unprotected rural communities, where the Burkinabe army finds it hard to intervene.

A Priest serving in the Diocese of Fada N’Gourma has sent to ACN an appeal for prayers, saying, “The attacks are multiplying. We ask for your fervent prayer. Pray for the victims and for the fearful survivors.”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.