Security analyst Festus Aboagye (Rtd) has stated that the Ghanaian traders caught up in the terrorist attack in Titao, northern Burkina Faso, were not deliberately targeted but were victims of circumstance.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Col. Aboagye explained that available intelligence suggests the assault formed part of a broader campaign by extremist groups to destabilise Burkina Faso, rather than a planned attack against Ghanaians.
“If I base my comments on what the minister said, and the minister has more intelligence and information than the rest of us that the jihadists said publicly that they were not attacking Ghanaians,” he stated.
He added, “Their method of operation is to destabilise Burkina Faso, so the best description is what I said earlier, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and I think there isn’t sufficient information for us to conclude that these jihadists targeted Ghana. The jihadists are not illiterates.”
Meanwhile, the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, appealed to the public to refrain from sharing graphic images and videos of the victims, urging empathy for the bereaved families.
“Families of the victims are uncertain. Sharing footage is insensitive and adds to their trauma. I plead with everyone to stop circulating these images and put themselves in the shoes of the grieving families,” he said during the same programme.
Reports indicate that the attack involved a truck transporting 18 Ghanaian tomato traders — ten men and eight women. Armed extremists reportedly separated the women before opening fire and setting the vehicles ablaze. Several individuals, including drivers, were killed at the scene, with bodies severely burnt. Authorities collected DNA samples prior to burial to facilitate identification.
Some traders survived the attack, including three men and one woman who sustained serious burns and are currently receiving medical treatment. The remaining seven women are said to be in stable condition. Arrangements are reportedly underway to transfer survivors to Ouagadougou, where Ghana’s diplomatic mission is expected to offer assistance.
The incident has reignited concerns about the risks associated with travelling through conflict-prone areas in the sub-region, underscoring the dangers faced by civilians operating in territories affected by extremist violence.
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