Four villagers were killed and another reported missing in an armed attack on Divita village in Téhini district, northeastern Ivory Coast, just two kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso.
This marks the deadliest attack in the country since 2021. In an official statement, Chief of Staff General Lassina Doumbia said the overnight assault from Sunday to Monday also left a woman with severe burns, destroyed several huts, and resulted in the theft of livestock. The identity of the attackers has not yet been determined.
According to a government source, the attack may have been a “settling of scores” targeting individuals suspected of supporting Burkina Faso’s “Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland” (VDP), civilian auxiliaries assisting the Burkinabè army in its fight against armed groups. These VDP militias have previously been accused of abuses against civilians, particularly members of the Fulani community.
Ivory Coast, which shares nearly 600 kilometers of border with Burkina Faso, is working to contain the spread of armed groups from the Sahel who exploit ethnic tensions and regional insecurity.
