On Thursday, 19 December, MEPs condemned abductions and all forms of violence and intimidation against civilians in Burkina Faso, particularly acts of violence that target specific religious communities and the use of religion to legitimise the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.
In a resolution adopted by a show of hands, the European Parliament called on the government to strengthen its support and protection of Muslim, Christian and animist communities in order to maintain Burkina Faso's ancient tradition of peaceful coexistence between religions.
The European Parliament believes that this tradition is being deliberately threatened by the jihadist groups’ strategy of fuelling conflicts and displacing populations. Violence in Burkina Faso, which is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, has resulted in the forced displacement of nearly half a million people, 44% of whom are children. In 2019, more than 60 Christians were killed in separate attacks.
Parliament is concerned about the deteriorating situation in Burkina Faso and its geopolitical implications internationally. It underlined the urgent need for the EU to continue to support the efforts made in the region by G5 Sahel. Since 2015, jihadists and other armed groups that had previously been operating in Mali have been terrorising the population of Burkina Faso, carrying out a number of attacks against military targets, schools and health facilities. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)