Burkina Faso: Two dioceses hit by new wave of attacks
The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern and sadness over the renewed upsurge in terrorism in the Dioceses of Nouna and Fada N’Gourma, respectively in the northeast and southeast of Burkina Faso. Over the past few weeks, civilians and members of the Church have once again suffered the effects of violence. This fresh wave of attacks follows several months of quiet, during which the population and the displaced felt some hope of peace, and were beginning to return to their communities. Local sources, who will remain anonymous for safety reasons, told ACN that despite the efforts of the army and the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland militia, the situation has worsened.
On 6 October 2025, the Diocese of Nouna suffered a deadly attack when three teenagers who were returning from Mali for the start of the school year were pulled off a bus and shot. The incident took place in the parish of Djibasso, in Madouba, near the border. Rumours of a return of terrorist activity had already been spreading and some of the local communities had received threats from the terrorist groups in past weeks.
Hours later, vehicles on the road from Nouna to Dédougou were fired upon. At least 15 people were killed, including several people from the parish of Solenzo, who were on a bus that was hit.
On the same day, in the Diocese of Fada N’Gourma, a catechist from the community of Kouala was kidnapped during Sunday Mass. “He was specifically targeted. The goal is to spread fear among the Christians. Sometimes the Christians are permitted to pray, but just as quickly they can be subjected to abuse, to make them flee” one of the local sources told ACN. According to information gathered by the foundation, the catechist has since been released.
A few days earlier, on 21 September, in the same diocese, another catechist from Saatenga was murdered in an ambush as he returned from a pastoral meeting in Diabo. According to information received by ACN, the roads in the region are increasingly dangerous, and terrorists are circulating in groups composed of fewer members, though the reasons for this are unclear. Although “many Christians have decided to run the risk of remaining, despite the increasingly serious threats in some parts of the diocese”, the local source explained, “fear has strongly taken hold of the civilian population”.
The charity calls on all its friends and benefactors to pray for the victims, their families and the population, and for the return of peace and safety to Burkina Faso. ACN reaffirms its commitment to support the Church and the Christian communities, in order to bolster hope and solidarity, through the provision of material and spiritual aid to face the challenges posed by terrorism.
In its 2025 edition of the Religious Freedom in the World Report, published on 21 October, ACN draws attention to the situation in Burkina Faso, where attacks by jihadists linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have caused over 20,000 deaths and over two million displaced. In 2024, the country accounted for one in every five of all terrorism-related deaths in the world, with 1,532 people killed. The violence has also caused the death or kidnapping of dozens of religious leaders, as well as the closure of around 30 parishes. Almost half of the country’s territory is currently under the control of armed groups, who threaten Christians and Muslims alike.
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