A 57-year-old woman who witnessed the brutal killing of her four sons by jihadist militants is among thousands of refugees forced to flee Burkina Faso due to escalating insurgent violence in the Sahel region.
Now living in a refugee camp in Ivory Coast, Yameogo Aminata says the trauma of that horrific day continues to haunt her.
A Mother’s Unimaginable Loss
Aminata recalls that in 2022 she had briefly left her home village when militants attacked the community.
Armed fighters linked to jihadist groups stormed the village, taking over farmland and livestock while targeting civilians they accused of opposing their rule.
During the attack, Aminata’s four sons — aged between 25 and 32 — were killed.
“They slit the throats of four of my children,” she said, struggling to hold back tears as she described the tragedy.
According to Aminata, she returned home just as the militants were killing her youngest son.
Determined to protect her family, she tried to fight back using a knife. But the attackers quickly overpowered her.
She was beaten, severely injured, and thrown into nearby bushes where she was left unconscious.
“I don’t know how to handle my life. I have nothing,” she said.
Adding to her pain, Aminata said her daughter went missing during the attack and has not been seen since.
Forced to Flee Across the Border
With violence intensifying across the country, Aminata fled Burkina Faso in 2023 and crossed the border into Ivory Coast seeking safety.
She now lives in the Nioronigué refugee camp, close to the Burkina Faso border.
The camp was established in 2023 through a joint initiative by the United Nations and the Ivorian government to host people fleeing the conflict.
However, the camp is now severely overcrowded.
Originally designed to accommodate around 6,000 people, it currently houses approximately 13,000 refugees, alongside another nearby camp in Timala.
Despite the difficult conditions, Aminata says she remains grateful for the safety offered by Ivory Coast.
“I thank the state of Ivory Coast and its people,” she said. “We were chased from our homes by jihadists who said they wanted the country.”
A Region Gripped by Violence
Burkina Faso is one of the countries hardest hit by extremist violence in the Sahel, alongside Mali and Niger.
Over the past decade, militant groups linked to al‑Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State have expanded across the region.
The United Nations describes the Sahel as the global epicentre of jihadist violence, with more than 10,000 people killed in Burkina Faso alone in recent years.
One of the most powerful armed groups operating in the region is Jama’at Nusrat al‑Islam wal‑Muslimin (JNIM), an affiliate of al-Qaeda.
Military governments that seized power in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have promised to end the insurgency.
Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim Traoré, has strengthened ties with Vladimir Putin and Russia in search of military support against insurgents.
Russian personnel operating under the Africa Corps have reportedly been deployed to assist the country’s military.
Despite these efforts, attacks by militant groups continue.
Thousands Displaced
The violence has triggered one of Africa’s fastest-growing displacement crises.
According to UN estimates, more than three million people across the Sahel have been displaced by conflict.
Over 80,000 refugees from Burkina Faso are currently living in Ivory Coast.
Many refugees in the Nioronigué camp share similar stories of loss and survival.
Among them is Hassane Tall, a farmer who fled northern Burkina Faso in 2023 with his three wives and 19 children after repeated attacks.
“We escaped clashes between jihadists and security forces,” he said. “We thought we would die.”
Another refugee, a young finance graduate from northern Mali, described the fear that forced him and his brothers to leave their hometown.
Their cousin, a fisherman, was shot dead by suspected militants while returning from night fishing.
“These things happen every day,” he said. “We were living in fear, not knowing if we would wake up the next morning.”
Host Communities Under Pressure
Ivory Coast has welcomed many of the displaced families, but the influx is beginning to strain local resources.
Officials say thousands of refugees are not even living in camps but instead rely on local families for shelter.
Government representative Djamatigui Touré said Ivory Coast will continue offering protection.
“Those who come are our brothers,” he said. “We share the same history and culture.”
However, humanitarian agencies warn that resources are becoming stretched as refugee numbers continue to rise.
Hoping for Peace
For Aminata, life in the refugee camp remains extremely difficult.
She still keeps the blood-stained clothes she wore on the day her sons were killed — a painful reminder of the life she lost.
Despite everything, she says her greatest hope is for peace to return to Burkina Faso.
“We just pray to God that peace comes back,” she said quietly.
