A woman who survived a deadly ambush on Ghanaian traders near Titao in northern Burkina Faso has shared her devastating account of the violent ordeal that left at least eight traders dead and others seriously wounded.
The group of traders, mainly women, had travelled across the border to buy tomatoes for resale when their journey turned tragic. After departing very early in the morning, the traders reached their destination without incident, but trouble struck on their return trip early on Saturday.
According to the survivor, gunshots and explosions erupted between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., triggering panic among the travellers. The attackers forced the traders out of their vehicle and made them stand in a line. She said that in a terrifying moment, some of the assailants chanted and raised their weapons before opening fire. The survivor narrowly escaped death after one attacker repeatedly intervened to stop her execution.
From a short distance away, she watched as some of her colleagues were shot and left injured near the truck. She also described how some local women in the area attacked some of the wounded after the initial shooting.
The assailants, believed to be linked to the Islamist militant group Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), fled when Burkina Faso security forces approached the scene.
When soldiers arrived, they evacuated three critically injured victims for urgent care by road and later by air. One of those taken for treatment later died, bringing the number of Ghanaian traders killed in the attack to eight. Two of the survivors were eventually flown to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for further treatment.
After the attack, the remaining group of traders was left stranded and traumatised. They were eventually helped by a man described only as “Ambassador,” believed to be from Ghana’s Upper West Region, who assisted them in returning home safely.
The survivor expressed gratitude to authorities and medical personnel for their rescue efforts and prayed for the recovery of the injured and for strength for the bereaved families. The incident has intensified concerns about the safety of Ghanaians who travel to volatile border areas for business.
