1: on thursday and friday, some 50 women were reportedly abducted by suspected jihadists in the northern region of burkina faso. the women had left their homes to gather leaves and wild fruits due to a severe food shortage, but a small number of them managed to escape and raise the alarm.
2: the abductions occurred in arbinda, a region in the sahel that has been hit hard by the jihadist insurgency. roads in and out of arbinda have been blocked by the jihadists, leading to a severe food shortage and a desperate humanitarian situation. last month, protesters in arbinda broke into warehouses to get food and supplies.
3: burkina faso as a whole has been hit by a decade-long insurgency that has displaced nearly two million people. the military seized power last january, promising an end to attacks, but the violence in burkina faso still rages. news of the abductions has just emerged due to the area being blockaded by islamist militants, with three survivors returning to tell the residents what happened. it is believed that the women were taken by the jihadists due to the severe food shortage and the desperate humanitarian situation in arbinda.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-64285344?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
