Mass Losses Amongst Burkinabe Ranks Following JNIM Attack

An attack on a convoy of Burkinabe soliders (FDS) on August 8th by members of Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM)–an al-Qaeda-linked militant Islamic group—has left at least 140 FDS dead as well as 50 civilians. Ninety militants are thought to have been killed in the attack, with JNIM making off with a swath of equipment and armored vehicles. As a result, the Governor of Burkina Faso's eastern region has extended a 12am-4am curfew until September 13th..What You Need to Know.A convoy of an estimated 150 trucks manned by members of the FDS were hit in a surprise attack by JNIM while traveling between Boungou and Ougarou. The convoy was returning from Boungou gold mine in the country's east when the militants emerged from a series of forests south of the commune of Nassougou. The military collum was partially destroyed, with the surviving FDS retreating to the commune of Tawori..As of yet, neither the Burkinabe Armed Forces nor the Burkinabe government have released a statement on the attack..Posting images of their spoils on social media, JNIM claimed they had retreived 16 vehicles and a large number of motorcycles, two Dragonov rifles, 53 PKM machine guns, 26 RPG7's and 83 rockets, 138 Kalashnikovs and 580 magazines, as well as four 60mm mortars..In its statement on the attack, JNIM denounced the mistreatment of the civilian populous by the Burkinabe government, stating, "this blessed jihadist act comes in response to the heinous crimes committed by the ruling clique against innocent, defenseless people in retaliation for the blood of our muslim peoples in Burkina, Mali, and Niger and in an effort to stop the campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement that our families and brothers are suffering in this region. God is Great, and Glory belongs to God.".According to a security source close to RFI, the convoy had chosen to take a shortcut through the forest to reach Ougarou, despite that specific road axis being abandoned since a 2019 IED attack on a convoy of FDS and local miners..So, What Now?.The lack of a government statement on the attack is notable, as the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES) comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger continue to misrepresent their losses..The misrepresentation or complete disregard of losses coupled with the near media blackout in the country leaves the civilian populous unaware of the extent of their government's failing counter insurgency campaign, which serves to protect the junta from backlash. Further evidence of this failing campaign is a recent request by the Burkinabe Minister of Security to the populous to report on any suspicious behaviour to the relevant authorities, despite the communique lacking a definition of suspicious behavior.