Islamic extremism wracks Burkina Faso, spreading east

FADA N’GOURMA, Burkina Faso (AP) — The jihadists who killed Wabwa Ampougovni’s son and two grandchildren wanted them to suffer: They cut the backs of their necks before slitting their throats, leaving them to a slow and agonizing death. They were among 14 people killed in late November when extremists swept through the Natiaboani area in eastern Burkina Faso, where Islamic militancy is spreading. “The tears are inside me but it hurts too much,” Ampougovni said. Nearly 1,000 civilians were killed in 2019 by local militias and fighters linked to Islamic extremists, a spike in attacks of nearly 190%, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which...