AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Tensions with Burkina Faso rise after attack on a border village and kidnapping of six Ivorian officials

Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) – Who attacked the village of Difita in the far north of Ivory Coast on the night of August 24-25? This is the question facing the West African country, where tensions with neighboring Burkina Faso are increasing.
According to a statement from the Ivorian Ministry of Defense, the reconstruction of the events is as follows: "During the night of August 24-25, the village of Difita (Téhini department) was attacked by unknown armed men. The attack took place around 2:00 a.m. and targeted an agricultural hamlet located two kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso." According to official toll, the attack left four people dead. One person is missing (probably kidnapped), a woman suffered severe burns, and several houses were burned down. The attackers also stole livestock and destroyed or looted several vehicles.
According to initial information, this does not appear to be an attack by one of the various Islamist groups operating across the border in Burkina Faso. Rather, it is suspected that members of the "Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland" (VPD) militia carried out the attack. These are armed civilians established by the Burkina Faso government to support the regular security forces in protecting villages from Islamist attacks. Due to their diverse composition (including individuals forcibly recruited against their will) and irregular surveillance, this could be the action of a group that has evaded the control of the central authorities in Ouagadougou. In Burkina Faso itself, the VPD is accused of violence against civilians and livestock theft. Local Ivorian sources argue that the attack was carried out by a group of Ivorian soldiers (VPD) searching for former comrades who had deserted and sought refuge in Ivorian territory in Difita.
The incident exacerbates tensions between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, especially since a few hours before the attack on Difita, six Ivorian officers from the Direction d'aide et d'assistance aux réfugiés et apatrides (DAARA) were arrested by VPD members in the border town of Kalan 2. The six officers were taken to Burkinabe territory and then reportedly handed over to members of the regular army, who allegedly took them by helicopter to an unknown destination.
DAARA is responsible for caring for approximately 72,000 refugees who have fled jihadist violence in Burkina Faso. At the end of June, five Ivorian security officers were captured by members of the VPD at the border between the two countries. The incident was subsequently resolved with the return of the Ivorian officers to their homeland.
Since Ibrahim Traoré took power in Burkina Faso, relations between Abidjan and Ouagadougou have been tense, with the Burkinabe authorities regularly accusing Ivory Coast of trying to destabilize the country, allegations which the latter denies. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 28/8/2025)

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