Hi Chris,

I don't follow that, as the Italian/Canadian were last seen on 15 December 2018 in Bobo.

The FCO are referencing a kidnapping close to the Ghana border in September 2018 - yet there is absolutely no mention of any such incident anywhere that I can find.

In September 2018 we know that a catholic priest was taken hostage in Niger (close to the Burkina border), and 3 mine workers were kidnapped in the north of Burkina (close to the Mali border). But nothing about an abduction in Burkina close to the Ghana border.

Anbody else able to find anything?

I did not find anything on the kidnapping close to the Ghana border. It would be the kidnapping of 1 foreigner since the 3 kidnapped in the north were of nationalities: burkinabé, indian and south africain.

I would think that the kidnapping close to Ghana is false information. The website "garda.com" is excellent at posting any incident in countries and there is nothing about that kidnapping.

The other kidnappings in 2018 were locals.

Patrick

So maybe it was wrt the Italian priest and the FCO got the border country wrong.

Why not contact them to check.

Hi Chris,

Already contacted them but no response.

I was hoping somebody on here might recall this event but I'm pretty sure they've got the location wrong.

Cheers all!

David

wrong fco
 

Hi all,


"https://www.reuters.com/article/us-burkina-kidnapping/three-workers-reportedly-kidnapped-near-burkina-faso-gold-mine-idUSKCN1M42EN".


The company was from Ghana.


Bye the way:

Do not affiliate yourself with foreign goldmining companies in burkina faso.
There is a lot of anger in burkina regarding big companies mining cheap gold. Only 10 percent of the revenue stays in burkina faso.



Ofcourse the kidnappings are not ok.

Hi Wilmar,

Yes, we are all aware of the kidnapping of the 3 mine workers in September 2018. As we know this took place in the north of Burkina Faso - as detailed in the Reuters article you referenced.

The British FCO have also stated that there was a kidnapping in the south of Burkina, close to the Ghana border.

There is absolutely no reference to this incident anywhere on the internet.

In my email to the FCO to ask for clarity on this they said they can't offer specific information!

None of my contacts have any information about this incident near the Ghana border either.

So it's all a little mysterious...

The massacre at New Years Eve in Mali took place in Koulogon, which is in the southern part of the falaise in Pays Dogon. While not an islamist attack, it is part of the escalating violence happening in Mali, also affecting neighbouring countries
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-m...-idUSKCN1OV1RZ

Security in the West Africa in relation to travel
 

The violence and kidnapping once common in the Sahara has spread down to the Sahel and West Africa in recent years (see here) but afaict, doesn't get reported much in the MSM.
It's a combination of Islamist attacks, IEDs, abductions and so on, plus an escalation in age-old inter-tribal (herder/farmer) feuding which has become more lethal.
This new thread has merged posts of such reports on HUBB for the last year or so.

To help keep this resource useful, distracting chat will be (re)moved.

Also New Years Eve there was similar strife between mossi and fulani north of Ouaga with many casualties. https://af.reuters.com/article/topNe...CN1OZ09Q-OZATP

Burkina appears unable to contain the spreading violence. Blaise Campaoré must have made a pact with the devil, since Burkina was comparatively peaceful for decades. Now there are disturbing reports from all corners of the country, with hunting lodges being burnt in SE, and animals including lions poached.

Another Canadian Kidnapped in Burkina Faso
 

Yesterday, another Canadian got kidnapped in Burkina Faso close to the Niger border. He was not a traveller but working for a mine company.

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/20...u-burkina-faso

Patrick

White man found shot in Burkina
 

A mining guy disappeared 2 days ago, believed kidnapped ... No further information at the moment, will update with nationality and location when I hear more

RIP

As suspected, Canadian mine employee

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/can...dead-1.4981602

https://www.jeuneafrique.com/707417/...retrouve-mort/
The poor bloke probably put up some resistance and they shot him. His body found 15 kms NE of Gorom Gorom, near the Mali border. The abductors escaped towards Niger.


Four westerners kidnapped in Burkina since 2015 are still held hostage:

Iulian Ghergut Romanian April 2015
Dr Ken Elliot Aussie Jan 2016
An Indian and a South African September 2018

And the Italian/Canadian couple have been missing one month now, after leaving Bobo D for Ouaga.

As an addition to this, the social media group West Africa Travellers has a WhatsApp group with various local security officials and an EU Embassy Security Attache resident in the region and in the group watching us, willing to offer support to most EU and N.American nationals should the need arise.

Several weeks ago one member in the group and their family were camping near Banfora, woken at 0200 surrounded by men with guns, parents were forcefully separated from their children. They initially thought they were being kidnapped but it turned out to be the Burkinabe police (who are very jittery and will shoot first, ask questions later) thinking the family were jihadists.

Two French missing, northern Benin
 

Two French (tourists we believe) and their guide have gone missing in Parc Nationale de Pendjari in the north of Benin, it's now been 3 days.

Added to which, areas of Cotonou are fighting following the 'democratic' elections

Fingers firmly crossed all this calms down! :rain: I'm regularly updating in a social media group West Africa Travellers