It was a walk 16-year-old Adama had done countless times, feeding the cows not far from his grandmother’s house in northern Burkina Faso. But one day in mid-February, the teen who dreamed of becoming an imam didn’t come home. Know more:
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso—It was a walk 16-year-old Adama had done countless times, feeding the cows not far from his grandmother’s house in northern Burkina Faso. But one day in mid-February, the teen who dreamed of becoming an imam didn’t come home.
Burkina Faso’s military has denied responsibility for the killings, which are a potential war crime under international law. A former French colony that won its independence in 1960, Burkina Faso is a majority Muslim country that was initially spared jihadi violence that began in neighboring Mali 10 years ago. France sent troops into the region to drive back the Islamic militants in 2013. The violence has since swept across the Sahel region, the vast semi-arid area south of the Sahara Desert.
Often those swept up by government forces are ethnic Fulani, a largely Muslim group who make up less than 10% of the population and mostly live in the north, where fighting has been most intense. The Fulani are perceived to be working with the militants, who target them for recruitment in part because of their historic grievances with the state and the fact that they live in regions where the militants have seized large areas.
The AP spoke to members of Adama’s family who fled their homes after he disappeared. Adama’s uncle heard his nephew was abducted by security forces from the boy’s grandmother, who recounted what Ousseni had told her. Adama’s mother heard separately about her son’s seizure from a relative, who saw him grabbed by security forces. Neither Adama’s uncle nor his mother wanted their names used for fear of reprisal.
“During sweep operations as part of the fight against terrorism, most of the children arrested are Fulani. Those children generally tend the cattle,” said Dr. Daouda Diallo, a pharmacologist and general secretary of the Collective Against Impunity and Stigmatization of Communities, a local rights group.
“The training of our soldiers and our include a large component on human rights and in all units we have provost marshals who keep watch,” he said. A larger troop carrier seen in the video is a Mercedes-Benz Atego. The US Defense Department delivered 10 trucks of that model and color to Burkina Faso in 2014.
In a response to AP, US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said foreign assistance to Burkina Faso has been restricted since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in January 2022. US officials have repeatedly raised the importance of protecting and respecting human rights with Burkina Faso’s leaders, he said.
Security reports gathered by ACLED, the data analysis group, show that Islamic militants attacked the volunteers that day, killing at least one and injuring two. According to the former government official, army reinforcements arrived soon after, and the killings in the video were carried out by security forces.
Despite the Burkinabe government’s claim that their forces were not responsible for the deaths, conflict experts said militants don’t typically commit atrocities and blame state security forces. Nor do they kill children, for fear of alienating local populations. “Persons not taking part in hostilities as well as detained combatants are entitled to humane treatment and killing them is murder as a war crime under international law,” Rapp said. “As such these soldiers could be prosecuted in the ICC.”Adama’s mother said there was no sign her son had become radicalized when he returned to Ouahigouya a year ago after spending a decade studying at a Quranic school in the western town of Nouna.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Man charged with cyberstalking after calling ex-girlfriend 800 times in two daysBreaking up with your boyfriend is already a difficult situation to go through, but it's even worse when that boyfriend turns out to be an obsessive stalker who would harass you with over 800 calls in just two days. 😱📱 | via philstarlife
Read more »
Special adobo cookie recipe on NYT, gets mixed reactions from netizensAN unlikely cookie is making rounds on social media as the New York Times shared its recipe on its website on Saturday.
Read more »
Public Weather Forecast issued at 4:00 PM | April 8, 2023 - video DailymotionPublic Weather Forecast issued at 4:00 PM | April 8, 2023 Video Courtesy of DOST/PAGASA Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein Soundcloud: https://tmt.ph/soundcloud TheManilaTimes
Read more »
Public Weather Forecast issued at 4:00 AM | April 8, 2023 - video DailymotionPublic Weather Forecast issued at 4:00 AM | April 8, 2023 Video Courtesy of DOST/Pag-asa Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein Soundcloud: https://tmt.ph/soundcloud TheManilaTimes
Read more »
Jex De Castro: From wedding singer to singing champHe was a poor boy who did not even graduate from high school because of poverty. But in a span of seven years, singer and Tawag ng Tanghalan All-Star Grand Resbak first runner-up Jex De Castro has achieved things that are beyond his wildest dreams. The latest feather in his cap is being hailed the grand champion of the Stars of the Albion 2023 held in London last March.
Read more »