At least six young cattle traders from the Kel Tamerkest community in Niger’s Maradi Region were reportedly killed by Burkinabe security forces near the Niger-Burkina Faso border.
The victims, identified as Hamed Ousmane Rhissa, Ghadou Ag Ouka, Ahmadou Ag Issa, Mossa, Abdoulaye, Ibrahim Ag Alhadi, and Bahas Ag Hama, were well-known traders regularly traveling between the two countries for work.
The incident took place near Seytanga, within Burkina Faso’s Dori administrative area.
According to Elhadji Hama Haroune, the head of the Kel Tamerkest Group, the Burkinabe Forces de Défense et de Sécurité (FDS) carried out the killings while escorting a convoy of buses along the Ouagadougou-Niger border route. The traders were reportedly executed without trial by the security forces.
The Kel Tamerkest community has expressed deep grief and outrage, calling for justice for the victims.
“We strongly condemn this heinous act. These young men were hardworking and innocent, and their brutal killing is a senseless tragedy,” said Haroune in a public statement on Wednesday January 29, 2025.
The community is urging authorities in both Burkina Faso and Niger to conduct a thorough investigation and hold those responsible accountable. “We demand swift action to ensure justice is served,” the statement concluded.
