A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), reported by the BBC, has accused Burkina Faso’s military and allied militias of killing at least 130 civilians in March near the western town of Solenzo.
This incident has raised significant concerns about human rights abuses in the conflict-ridden nation of the Sahel.
The allegations come as Burkina Faso battles a growing Islamist insurgency, with groups like al-Qaeda and Islamic State controlling roughly 40% of the country, according to recent estimates.
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The HRW report claims the military targeted Fulani civilians in what it describes as reprisal killings, labeling the acts as potential war crimes.
It also notes that jihadist groups killed at least 100 more civilians last month in retaliatory attacks against those perceived as military collaborators.
The rights group has called for the Burkina Faso government to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
The BBC reached out to the Burkina Faso government for comment, but last year, the junta dismissed a similar HRW report of 223 civilian deaths in February 2024 as “baseless,” asserting that allegations of abuses in the “fight against terrorism” are systematically investigated.
Burkina Faso’s military junta, which seized power in a 2022 coup, has increasingly aligned with Russia for support against the insurgency, turning away from former colonial power France.
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This shift has coincided with growing restrictions on media and civic space, including the suspension of outlets like Radio France International and France24, as well as the expulsion of foreign correspondents, drawing criticism from the UN Human Rights Office