Recalling that the killing of civilians may constitute a war crime, the EU called for an “impartial and rigorous” investigation to identify the perpetrators of the recent massacre in Burkina Faso.
The European Union (EU) strongly condemned Thursday the violent attack on a village in Burkina Faso by paramilitaries on April 20, which killed at least 150 people, including women and children.
In a statement, Nabila Massrali —spokesperson for the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell— recalls that the killing of civilians may constitute a war crimeappealing to a “Impartial and rigorous” investigation identify the material authors of the massacre, so that they can be tried.
UN calls for investigation into massacre of 150 civilians in Burkina Faso
The EU also stresses that the defense and security forces must be exemplary for the population and the authorities must ensure respect for human rightswithout making any distinction.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had called on Tuesday for an investigation into the recent massacre of civilians in Burkina Faso, in which at least 150 people were shot dead.
The massacre was attributed to paramilitaries from the Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) group, who surrounded the village of Karma, in the province of Yatenga, in northern Burkina Faso, and fired randomly at the population.
The massacre came several days after the death of eight soldiers and 32 VDP paramilitaries – a group of civilian volunteers who collaborate with the Burkina Faso Army in the fight against terrorist groups – at a nearby military base.
In recent months, the country’s armed forces and the VDP have carried out attacks against other villages in Burkina Faso, causing more than 70 deaths, according to UN estimates.
Source: Observadora
