EU reports suggest that approximately 100 people have been killed in the Zaongo massacre, further escalating the crisis in Burkina Faso.

The European Union (EU) has called for an investigation into an alleged massacre in Burkina Faso where around 100 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, expressed concern over the incident and urged Burkina Faso's military junta to clarify the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The United States has also condemned the attack. The village of Zaongo was targeted on 6 November, but it remains unclear who was responsible for the assault. Burkina Faso is grappling with a jihadist insurgency that has emanated from neighboring Mali. To combat the Islamist groups that control approximately 40% of the country, the military government has been coercing civilians into joining the fight. This conflict has resulted in the closure of about a quarter of the country's schools. Witnesses revealed that Zaongo had not been evacuated by terrorists like other nearby villages, leading to suspicions that its inhabitants were collaborating with the militants. Despite the military junta's promise to halt jihadist attacks after seizing power last year, the number of deaths has continued to rise. The year 2020 marked Burkina Faso's highest recorded number of civilian fatalities, with over 1,400 deaths, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. This year, violence has already claimed the lives of nearly 8,000 individuals in the country.