The African Union considers the massacre in Burkina Faso a war crime, according to a communiqué from Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the Union Commission.
It was previously reported that gunmen attacked a village in northern Burkina Faso on Saturday. About 170 people were killed in the attack, according to the latest reports. The country has declared three days of mourning.
"Burkina Faso has experienced the deadliest terrorist attack in its history ... This act, committed against civilians, including children, is a true war crime and should be treated as such," the document said.
The president also expressed his outrage and condemnation of the attack and called for a swift and decisive response by states in the region and the international community against terrorists in Burkina Faso and throughout the Sahel.
Regions in the north of the country, on the border with Niger and Mali, have suffered the most from attacks by al-Qaida* and ISIS* (terrorist groups banned in the Russian Federation) fighters. An increase in armed attacks on civilians since 2015 has forced the country to evacuate some villages in the region.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from RIA Novosti