Many people have been killed in a new series of attacks in the parish of Tansila, in the Diocese of Nouna. Fr Jean-Pierre Keita, a young priest and ACN project partner, lost several members of his family.
At the end of January, several villages in the Burkinabé parish of Tansila, near the border with Mali, once again became the targets of terrorist attacks. This report comes from Fr Jean-Pierre Keita, who visited the international headquarters of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) nearly six months ago and gave a press conference about the dramatic situation in the Diocese of Nouna, alongside a fellow priest.
On 25 January, more than 200 terrorists attacked the villages of Toma, Kellé and Lanfiéra. At least 26 people were killed, including six Christians. The attackers set fire to houses and forced the villagers to flee. Six days later, on 31 January, a further attack took place, resulting in several more deaths, again including Christians. ACN has learned that tragically Fr Jean-Pierre’s father and several other family members were among the victims of the attacks.
The parish of Tansila includes 37 villages, about a third of whose inhabitants are Christians. In recent years, it has repeatedly been subjected to cruel terrorist attacks. In the face of this situation, which seems hopeless, Fr Jean-Pierre calls for prayer: “Please pray for the conversion of hearts, so that everyone may become a peacemaker. Pray also for the government in Burkina Faso, the defence and security forces and the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland, so that their daily efforts may bear fruit for peace, reconciliation and social cohesion. Our prayers are also with the worldwide victims of terrorism. May they rest in peace.”
ACN is deeply saddened by this renewed tragedy and joins in Fr Jean-Pierre’s call for prayer. The charity asks all benefactors to pray especially for the young priest, a project partner of ACN, in these moments of grief, as well as for his deceased relatives and other victims.
By Sina Hartert.
