OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — State radio in Burkina Faso is reporting that 10 people have been killed in a southern village in ethnic clashes.
The radio report said the clash between the Liliou and the Akonga communities was because of a dispute over a chieftancy. The Liliou is rejecting the current chief in the village of Guenon who is from the Akonga ethnic group. The rivalry culminated Friday when the son of the chief was killed by the rival Liliou group.
Contacted by telephone, Interior Minister Jerome Bougma said "ancient frustrations have fueled the tension." He was in Guenon, located more than 80 miles (160 kilometers) south of the capital, Ouagadougou, leading a ministerial delegation to plead for peace. Dozens of security forces had been deployed to the area to try to prevent further violence.
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