Jackson Lee 'outraged' by Burkina Faso massacre

Government
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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee | Facebook/Sheila Jackson Lee

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) decried the violence and killings which occurred on June 5 in the nation of Burkina Faso, Africa, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people.

The attack was carried out by militants, although the responsible party has not yet come forward. 

“I am outraged by the massacre of 132 civilians, including seven children, in Burkina Faso by armed assailants that laid siege to a village in the jihadist-plagued northeast! The world mourns today. This violence, terrorism and abuse by jihadists in Burkina Faso must cease [immediately],” Jackson Lee tweeted.

Jackson Lee is joined in her frustration and heartbreak for the country by Prime Minister Christophe Dabire. 

“Steps have already been taken to give [displaced people] a minimum level of comfort, lodgings and food,” Dabire said, according to Al Jazeera.

The number of individuals who have fled in the aftermath of the violence is estimated to be roughly 3,300 individuals, many of whom have relocated to Sebba.

“Since the arrival of terrorism in 2015, this is the first time that there have been so many deaths in a single operation, and above all so many civilian deaths,” political analyst Siaka Coulibaly told Al Jazeera. “This is why the Burkinabe population is very sad and questions about the ability of the country, and the defense and security system to stem the terrorist insurgency are growing.”

NPR has called this attack in Burkina Faso one of the worst attacks in the area in years, with the last violent attack of a similar scale having occurred in 2015. 

Villagers and local defense force members were among the fatalities in the crimes committed. 

Dabire has given his commitment to find the people responsible for the crimes and bring them to justice.