Burkina Faso Junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore
Source: Africa Publicity
A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has alleged Burkina Faso’s military and allied militia killed about 130 civilians in a “massacre”.
According to the report, the killings took place in March this year near the western town of Solenzo.
The report indicates that the “massacre”, following an operation led by Burkinabè special forces, resulted in widespread civilian deaths and displacement of ethnic Fulanis.
The Fulani are a pastoralist, mainly Muslim community who the government has often accused of backing Islamist militants – an allegation denied by community leaders.
About 40% of Burkina Faso is under the control of groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State operating in West Africa’s Sahel region, according to a report.
The attacks, in which thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced, have continued despite promises by the country’s military leaders to deal with the insurgency.
Ahead of the release of the HRW findings on Monday, May 12, 2025, there were reports of more militant attacks over the weekend with dozens of military and civilian casualties.
According to HRW, it interviewed witnesses, militia members, journalists and the civil society and analysed videos shared on social media to make the findings regarding the army’s involvement in the March killings.
HRW previously said the army was “implicated” in the killings, based on videos that were being shared online showing dozens of dead and injured people, although the findings were not definitive.
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It now says further research has “uncovered that Burkina Faso’s military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians”.
The report adds that least 100 more civilians were killed last month in reprisal attacks by jihadist groups against those seen as helping the military.
“Mass killings of civilians by government security forces, militias, and Islamist armed groups amount to war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes,” according to the report.
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