Burkina Faso Government Forces and Alliances Responsible for Over Twice Civilian Deaths vs Militants — HRW Report

HRW Report Details Civilian Casualties and Ethnic Targeting

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has published a report alleging that government forces and allied militias in Burkina Faso caused over twice as many civilian deaths as militant jihadist groups between January 2023 and August 2025. The 316-page study attributes 1,255 civilian deaths to official forces, with 33 incidents involving government forces and their allies. Total civilian casualties during the period reached 1,837 across 57 violence incidents. HRW states the government’s policy includes reprisal attacks against Fulani villages accused of collaborating with Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). The report emphasizes ethnic targeting, particularly of the Fulani community, which constitutes 1.8 million people (8.5% of the population). These findings align with HRW’s earlier observations in Mali, where government forces also killed more civilians than militants. The report is based on 450 interviews, verified social media, and satellite imagery.

A Decisive Attack in Djibo

The HRW report details 57 incidents between January 2023 and August 2025, including a December 2023 attack in Djibo, where over 400 civilians were killed. Survivors described brutal killings, with one witness recounting a militia member instructing others to ‘make sure no-one is breathing before heading out.’ Psychological trauma persists among survivors, underscoring the severity of the violence. The junta’s allied militias, the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), are accused of forcing critics to join the group. President Ibrahim Traoré defended conscription, stating ‘a nation is not built on indiscipline and disorder.’ Since seizing power, authorities are accused of escalating violence against civilians in response to attacks by JNIM, the largest jihadist group in the country. Civilians report being caught between government forces and JNIM, which uses threats and violence to dominate communities. HRW urges the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged crimes since September 2022 and calls on Burkina Faso’s partners to impose sanctions and avoid cooperation with its military. Traoré overthrew Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in September 2022. Despite his authoritarian reputation, he has gained regional support for his pan-Africanist stance and criticism of Western influence. Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, has shifted military alliances toward Russia, though violence continues unabated.

Humanitarian Crisis Escalates

“make sure no-one is breathing before heading out.”

The humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso has reached critical levels, with over 2.1 million people displaced and nearly 6.5 million requiring humanitarian aid. The military junta, which seized power in 2022, has failed to stabilize the country, with over 60% of Burkina Faso outside government control. The UNHCR fact sheet notes that regions such as Soum and Liptako faced acute shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicines, worsening living conditions and limiting humanitarian access. Cross-border movements intensified in late 2025, with approximately 7,000 new Malian refugees arriving, overwhelming scarce resources. Joint UNHCR–CONAREF assessments highlighted heightened protection risks, emphasizing urgent needs for registration and multisectoral coordination. Food insecurity remains critical for 22,000 refugees in Liptako and Soum, where limited access and funding cuts restricted assistance. UNHCR advocated with WFP to sustain food support while promoting livelihood investments for long-term self-reliance.

EU Humanitarian Support and Challenges

The EU provides critical humanitarian support, allocating €311.35 million since 2014, with €35.9 million in 2025 and €45 million in 2024. In 2025, 5.9 million people are estimated to need assistance, though funding constraints reduced targeted beneficiaries from 3.7 to 1.2 million. Food insecurity remains pervasive, with 27% of the population moderately food insecure and 4% severely food insecure, particularly in conflict-affected areas. FEWS NET estimates 1.5–2 million required food assistance during February–May 2025. Conflict has displaced 2.1 million people since March 2023, with 640,000 returning in 2024. Refugees, mainly from Mali, rose to 42,467 by October 2025. Violence caused 7,522 fatalities in 2024, with 4,751 deaths in the first nine months of 2025. Over 5,000 schools and 424 health facilities are closed, impacting 800,000 children and forcing 4 million to seek healthcare elsewhere. EU aid prioritizes food insecurity, malnutrition, health, shelter, water, education, and disaster preparedness. Humanitarian air operations, including the EU Humanitarian Air Flight (EU HAF) helicopter, provide last-mile access to remote and blocked areas. Cash transfer bans and security risks hinder aid delivery, affecting 1.1 million people in 29 locations under blockade. The EU also supports local capacity-building for disaster risk reduction and links emergency aid to long-term development initiatives.

Targeting the Fulani Ethnic Group

The report highlights the targeting of the Fulani ethnic group, which comprises 1.8 million people (8.5% of Burkina Faso’s population). Fulani communities, predominantly Muslim and engaged in cattle herding across the Sahel, have been subjected to government-led violence. HRW states the government’s policy involves military action against the Fulani based on accusations of collusion with militants. In March 2025, the military led Operation ‘Green Whirlwind 2’, resulting in the massacre of over 130 ethnic Fulani civilians in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region. Witnesses, including 27 survivors, 2 militia members, and 4 journalists, described the military’s coordinated attacks on Fulani communities. VDPs and military forces blocked escape routes, looted cattle, and executed civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly. Military helicopters and drones surveilled the area, indicating direct command control. A Fulani herder reported that VDPs and the army ambushed his group near Béna and Lékoro, killing 8 family members. Survivors estimated casualties in the hundreds, with some groups reporting over 300 deaths. HRW reviewed 11 videos showing VDPs executing civilians and transporting bodies. A video geolocated near Mahouna depicted armed men throwing dead bodies into a vehicle. The military’s operation displaced thousands of Fulani families, many attempting to flee to Mali but intercepted by VDPs and the army.

“a nation is not built on indiscipline and disorder.”