SI condemns terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou

The Socialist International unreservedly condemns the terrorist attacks perpetrated in Ouagadougou on 2 March, which targeted the Burkinabe army headquarters and the French embassy. These barbaric acts, which claimed the lives of dozens of people, will not weaken the resolve of those who are tirelessly working to rid Burkina Faso and the Sahel region of the threat of violence and terror.

Burkina Faso has suffered multiple terrorist attacks in recent years, and the SI expresses its deepest solidarity with the Burkinabe people, and its member party in that country, the MPP, as they come to terms with this latest deadly incident. Terrorism destroys life and harms the wellbeing of all citizens affected, and is a major obstacle to economic and social development.

The terrorist threat is not restricted to Burkina Faso, and the SI offers its wholehearted support to the efforts of Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and his government to combat terrorist insurgents across the Sahel region, in cooperation with other members of the G5 Sahel joint task force. Any and all attempts to undermine regional cooperation against the ongoing terror threat must be met with renewed determination and strengthened resolve.

Leaders from the G5 Sahel countries have recently called for increased funding from the international community for their joint initiatives, which are ever more pertinent in light of the tragic events in Ouagadougou. The SI reiterates the calls made by its Presidium in September 2017 for international partners to offer their full support to this body, whose mission is vital to the security of the region.