OUAGADOUGOU – A court in Burkina Faso has sentenced two individuals to life imprisonment for their involvement in a 2017 attack on the Aziz Istanbul restaurant in the capital city, Ouagadougou.
The attack, which occurred in August 2017, resulted in the tragic deaths of 19 people, including 10 Burkinabes and nine foreigners. Two gunmen opened fire on patrons at the restaurant, a popular spot frequented by expatriates.
While no group claimed responsibility for the attack, it followed a series of similar incidents targeting areas frequented by foreigners.
The two convicted individuals were apprehended in 2018 following an extensive investigation.
This attack, along with the January 2016 assault on a nearby hotel and cafe that claimed 30 lives, highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by Burkina Faso.
The country, like its neighbors Mali and Niger, has been grappling with a significant escalation of jihadist violence in recent years. This conflict has tragically displaced nearly two million people and resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 individuals since 2015.
The prosecution has announced that eight individuals will soon face trial for a separate attack in March 2018 that targeted the army headquarters and the French embassy, resulting in the deaths of eight Burkinabe soldiers.