"The worst of news is confirmed," tweeted Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday afternoon. "Our deepest sympathy to the family and loved ones of David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, assassinated in Burkina Faso. And our gratitude," continued the Spanish Prime Minister, "to those who, like them, practice courageous and essential journalism daily from conflict zones." A little earlier, it was the Foreign Affairs minister who had confirmed at a press conference in Madrid that the two Spanish journalists and the Irish humanitarian had been "executed" during the attack on their convoy, near Pama.

An attack qualified as "terrorist" a little later that evening by a Burkinabè official. Finally, further confirmation overnight, in a post published on Facebook, the NGO Chengeta Wild announced the death of its CEO Rory Young, the third man, initially described as a journalist, but who is an environmental activist. The remains of the three Westerners were transferred that evening to Ouagadougou. Abducted at the same time as the three European expatriates, there is still no news of the Burkinabè.

The team was filming a documentary on poaching when their convoy was attacked. According to our information, the mission appeared to have been strongly advised against. Despite numerous security operations in this area, threats persist.

This execution provoked reactions beyond Spain and Ireland. "By murdering journalists in Burkina Faso, the terrorists have once again shown their cowardice and their true criminal face: that of defenders of obscurantism that annihilates all freedom of expression," reacted on Twitter, for example, the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell.