Burkina Faso’s military forces have killed at least 1,255 civilians, including 193 children, between January 2023 and April 2025, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The report accuses government troops and allied militia, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), of carrying out widespread abuses during dozens of operations across the country.
HRW said the violations include unlawful killings, summary executions, torture, destruction of homes, and large-scale looting of livestock.
“These abuses have also resulted in hundreds of thousands of people being displaced,” the organisation noted, adding that many fled to safer regions or neighbouring countries.
In several incidents, civilians were reportedly targeted over suspected links to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated armed group. Others were attacked simply for living in areas under JNIM control or following insurgent assaults.
Despite the scale of abuses by state forces, HRW also documented violence by jihadist groups. JNIM was responsible for at least 582 civilian deaths, including 15 children, within the same period. However, killings attributed to Burkina Faso’s military and its auxiliaries were 73 percent higher.
Conflict deepens across Sahel
Burkina Faso has been battling a growing insurgency since 2016, when extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State expanded from neighbouring Mali.
The conflict has since spread across the Sahel, destabilising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Armed groups are seeking to establish control and impose strict rule across parts of the region.
According to HRW, JNIM now operates in at least 11 of Burkina Faso’s 13 regions, underscoring the scale of insecurity.
Successive governments have struggled to contain the violence. The military has cited this failure as justification for repeated coups and delays in restoring civilian rule.
The country’s current junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, has dismissed reports of worsening violence as “propaganda,” insisting that his administration is making progress against insurgents.
Meanwhile, Sahel states have shifted alliances away from Western partners like France, increasingly turning to Russia for military support, though security gains remain limited.
