Moussa Faki Mahamat expresses his solidarity after the terrorist attack which cost the lives of 28 Beninese soldiers in the north of the country. A new illustration of the security deterioration in this border region with Burkina Faso and Niger.
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, “ strongly condemned », Saturday, the terrorist attack which cost the lives of 28 Beninese soldiers on January 8 in the north of the country, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and the Beninese people.
This attack, claimed on Friday by the JNIM, which claims to have killed more than 30 soldiers and recovered significant loot consisting of weapons, is one of the deadliest suffered by the Beninese army. It occurred in Banikoara, in the area known as “ triple point » bordering Niger and Burkina Faso. “We have just suffered a very heavy loss. », Declared Colonel Faizou Gomina, chief of staff of the national guard, in a press release sent to APA.
The Beninese army would have neutralized “ 40 attackers » during the clashes. Since 2021, the country has lost 121 soldiers in attacks attributed to groups linked to the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda.
The target position was “ one of the strongest and most militarized of Operation Mirador », Specified Colonel Gomina, referring to the system of 3,000 soldiers deployed since January 2022 to secure the country’s borders. “ Material alone is not enough to win » the fight against jihadist groups, he added.
« We have received a very hard blow, but we are not going to give in », affirmed the chief of staff, while Benin faces an increase in attacks in its northern region, particularly on the border with Burkina Faso.
AC/SF/APA
