'Betraying each other': Burkina Faso bishop on terror attack

Burkina Faso on Wednesday observed a day of national mourning after al-Qaeda-linked terrorists killed more than 200 people in the town of Barsalogho in the country's north-central region. Theophile Nare, the Bishop of the diocese of Kaya, to which Barsalogho belongs, spoke to DW about the mood in the town and how to end the insurgency.

DW: Why did you call for a day of mourning in your diocese of Kaya this Wednesday, August 28?

Bishop Theophile Nare: I'm calling for a day of mourning because, as you've heard, there's been a massacre of people who are part of the population of my diocese in the commune of Barsalogho. As the Father of the church over there in Kaya, I felt it was my duty to call on the faithful of the Catholic Church and all people of goodwill not to make a non-event of what has happened. We must show solidarity with those who perished and with those who are suffering.

Monsignor, how are the people of the region feeling four days after the massacres?

The people are devastated. That's obvious. What do you want in the face of such a tragedy? What feelings can people have other than despair and discouragement? And there are big whys: Why did this happen?

If you follow the news, you know this isn't the first time a tragedy has happened. But as far as I know, there hasn't been a tragedy of this magnitude since the terrorist attacks began and have been raging in our country. It's terrible!

And how are the injured fairing?

As soon as I learned of the tragedy, I went to Kaya Regional Hospital and saw several people had already been brought there. I was told that others were on their way. All the Kaya Regional Hospital's medical staff worked hard to care for the wounded.

You said that God had nothing to do with the Barsalogho tragedy and did not want it to happen. What does that mean?

It means that in our conception of God, it's not fair to blame God for the evil that happens to us because God doesn't rejoice in our evil, our misfortune. We believe in a God of love, a benevolent God. So it's not possible to say that it's God who wanted this to happen.

You also say: Never again. Is that enough, or do you need to take action? If so, what would that look like?

I said we need to talk. Talk to God in prayer, talk to each other, and act so that it doesn't happen again. Take action. But how do we act? For example, we can stop betraying each other. That's an action. We must give up our selfish interests when the general interest is at stake. We have to stop certain actions that are characterized by evil and evildoers.

How would you explain the army's challenge to protect the population? 

You're asking me a difficult question that I can't answer because I'm not a military leader, so I can't tell you what is handicapping the army. That's for the military to say. I can't tell the army how it can disarm the terrorists.

Do you think there is another option for bringing peace to your country, Burkina Faso?

Another option is to change hearts and minds. It's tolerance, it's mutual respect. So, another option, I don't know. Maybe you mean we have to negotiate. Sit down and talk? You know, that's how conflicts usually end.

But you have to create the conditions for dialogue and negotiation. Have these conditions been met? I think it starts with acceptance and tolerance. This is what we are all called to do, where we have to convert. As long as the army is facing extremists, I don't know if we can consider immediate and direct negotiation.

Bishop Theophile Nare presides over Barsalogho town, which is mourning the deaths of more than 200 people killed by al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists over the weekend.

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu