GENEVA: The United Nations has called for an independent probe into the tragic incident of mass killings in Burkina Faso this month, Western media reported on Wednesday.
Earlier State prosecutor of Burkina Faso said that at least 70 civilians were killed, including elderly and children, in an attack on a village in country’s north on November 5.
The UN rights office said it has taken notice of the alarming reports of mass killings in the West African country.
Burkina Faso is facing jihadist insurgency that started from neighboring Mali in 2015 and has left more than 17,000 civilians and soldiers dead and displaced two million people.
Spokesperson and media officer at UN Human Rights Office, Liz Throssell in a statement called upon the transitional authorities to hold a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into these serious reports.
She noted that the authorities had already confirmed at least 70 deaths, while some reports suggest there could be 100 deaths.
The UN official added that reportedly number of properties were also burned down in the area.
European Union strongly denounces attack
Earlier the European Union strongly denounced the attack in Zaongo village. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called upon the post-coup transition authorities in Ouagadougou to take all measures to determine who was responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, the Save the Children aid group has also sought an immediate investigation into the killings.
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Benoit Delsarte, Save the Children’s director in Burkina Faso said that the tragic incident reminds us that children are facing the brunt of conflict in Burkina Faso.
It is pertinent to mention that Burkinabe authorities in April launched an investigation into another massacre of 136 people including women and children in the town of Karma.
