Abducted Burkina Faso women flee gunmen as attacks spike

Piercing thorns and stones underfoot did not stop the young woman as she charged through thickets, baby strapped to her back, fleeing armed men who kidnapped her with dozens of others in northern Burkina Faso last week.

Now back home in the town of Arbinda along with a few who also managed to escape, the 20-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous for fear over her safety, recounted the ordeal that started when unknown men fired gunshots and then closed in on her as she was scouring the bush for food.

Burkina Faso authorities said about 50 women were kidnapped on January 12 and 13 in Arbinda district, part of the restive Soum province in the West African country.

The escapee said the gunmen forced the women to walk through the bush for a whole day.

“The next morning they assembled us again … It was at this moment that some of us decided to take a risk. Those who were lucky managed to escape,” she said.

Her 40-year-old mother is still in the hands of the gunmen, she said.

Another survivor, who did not wish to be named, said her abductors gathered women into groups and made them shepherd stolen sheep to disguise what was happening.

“I managed to hide in a ravine with another [woman],” the second woman said. “We got back to the village at nightfall. Others returned the following morning.”

Increase of attacks on civilians

According to Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who took power last year in a second coup, gunmen are switching tactics to focus on civilians.

“Today, another phase has been launched by the terrorists,” Traore said at a meeting at the University of Ouagadougou with students from around the country.