Dozens of women and children were abducted by jihadists in northern Burkina Faso earlier this month, in one of the largest mass kidnappings in the country’s recent history. The incident happened on Thursday, January 12, and Friday, January 13, but details only emerged after three women managed to escape and reported the attack.
Army Searches, But No Sign of Victims
Local authorities said the army, alongside civilian auxiliaries of the Volunteers for the Homeland, launched search operations but have so far failed to locate the abductees.
The kidnappings took place in Soum province, near the borders with Mali and Niger, an area largely controlled by jihadist groups including Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and Ansar-ul Islam. These groups have blocked food and supplies from reaching Arbinda and its surrounding villages, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
Women Taken While Foraging for Food
According to residents, around 40 women went into the bush to gather fruits and plants due to food shortages when they were ambushed. The following day, another group of 15 women and children from a neighboring village, unaware of the first abduction, were also captured.
“Insecurity has prevented farmers from working their lands. The population has used up its reserves, and we are on the brink of a humanitarian disaster,” said Idrissa Badini, a local civil society spokesperson.
Kidnapping as a Weapon of War
Analysts warn that such abductions are part of jihadist tactics to intimidate communities.
“This is not new,” said Flore Berger, Sahel analyst at the Global Initiative. “We’ve seen similar cases in northern Burkina Faso and Mali. The abduction of women is used as a weapon of war—sometimes to force marriages, intimidate civilians, or extract information about volunteer fighters.”
Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has battled an insurgency linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly two million people. The United Nations estimates that nearly one million people are trapped in blockaded areas across the north and east of the country.
The crisis has also fueled political instability, leading to two military coups in 2022, as the army struggles to contain the violence.
