18 January 2023, Addis Ababa: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat condemns in the strongest terms, the abduction of more than 50 women and girls on 12 and 13 January 2023 in the Arbinda area in Burkina Faso's northern Sahel Region, by unidentified armed men.
The Chairperson calls for the immediate release of the abducted women and girls, including their safe return to their families and communities. The Chairperson further urges the national authorities to spare no efforts in bringing to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
The Chairperson is particularly concerned by the targetting of women and girls by armed groups as part of their strategy to terrorise communities.
The Chairperson reaffirms the solidarity of the African Union with the brotherly nation of Burkina Faso and remains determined to support the authorities to return to constitutional order and work towards lasting peace.
