Atrocities by all parties in Burkina Faso’s conflict

• Since 2023, the army of Burkina Faso, along with its allied militias and an Al-Qaeda-affiliated armed group, have killed more than 1,800 civilians and forcibly displaced tens of thousands.
• The ruling junta is directly involved in heinous abuses, fails to prosecute those responsible on all sides, and suppresses information to hide the suffering of civilians caught in the violence.
• Regional bodies and international partners should engage with Burkinabè authorities, urging them to address severe violations by all parties and establish genuine accountability.

A new report from Human Rights Watch released today reveals that since 2023, the armed forces of Burkina Faso and their allied militias, as well as an armed group linked to Al-Qaeda, have been responsible for the deaths of over 1,800 civilians and the forced displacement of tens of thousands more. These atrocities, which include government-led ethnic cleansing of Fulani civilians, amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, for which senior leaders on all sides could be held accountable.

The extensive 341-page report, titled “’No One Will Escape’: War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity by All Sides in Burkina Faso,” details the devastating impact on civilians of an armed conflict that has garnered little global attention. Researchers documented 57 incidents involving Burkinabè military forces, allied militias known as the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), and the Islamist armed group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), also known as GSIM. The findings cover the period since the current military junta seized power in September 2022. Human Rights Watch also published a Q&A document to clarify the legal issues involved.

“The scale of atrocities in Burkina Faso is staggering, as is the lack of global attention to this crisis,” stated Philippe Bolopion, executive director at Human Rights Watch. “The junta itself is committing horrific abuses, failing to hold perpetrators from any side accountable, and suppressing information to conceal the suffering of civilians trapped in the violence.”

To compile the report, Human Rights Watch conducted interviews with over 450 individuals in Burkina Faso, Bénin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, as well as by phone, regarding severe violations committed between January 2023 and August 2025. The investigation was supplemented by in-depth open-source analysis, including the review of satellite imagery, thousands of hours of audiovisual recordings, and official documents to corroborate incidents and identify commanders from all factions.

Under President Ibrahim Traoré, the junta has orchestrated a widespread crackdown on political opposition, peaceful dissent, and independent media, creating a climate of fear and severely restricting information about the conflict and its toll.

The insurgency, launched in 2016 by GSIM and other Islamist armed groups, is part of a broader offensive in Africa’s Sahel region. GSIM has killed civilians and pillaged property, prompting the junta to respond with brutal counterinsurgency campaigns. The killing and abuse of civilians, often from communities accused of supporting the opposing side, have become a key tactic for both the junta and GSIM.

In one of the deadliest documented incidents, Burkinabè soldiers and their allied militias killed over 400 civilians in December 2023 across approximately 16 villages near the northern town of Djibo during an operation dubbed Tchéfari 2 (“The Honey of Warriors” in Fulfulde). “They opened fire,” recalled a 35-year-old woman. “My two daughters died instantly.” She and her 9-month-old son were severely wounded by gunfire. She overheard a militiaman say, “Make sure no one is breathing before you leave.”

The army and militias have specifically targeted Fulani communities due to their perceived support for Islamist armed groups, resulting in the ethnic cleansing of entire communities.

In November 2023, government-allied militias killed 13 Fulani civilians, including 6 women and 4 children, in the western village of Bassé. “All the bodies, except my son’s, were gathered in the courtyard, blindfolded with their own torn clothes and hands tied behind their backs… riddled with bullets,” described a 41-year-old man. “My son… was lying on his stomach. He had been shot in the back of the neck.”

GSIM has employed widespread threats and violence to subjugate and punish communities in its bid to impose territorial control over rural areas. On August 24, 2024, GSIM killed at least 133 civilians, including dozens of children, in Barsalogho in the country’s center, accusing the entire community of supporting the VDP.

“[GSIM fighters] fired continuously, as if they had endless ammunition,” a 39-year-old man recounted. “People were dropping like flies. They came to exterminate us. They spared no one.” Five members of his family were killed in the attack.

GSIM has laid siege to dozens of towns and villages across Burkina Faso, blocking the movement of goods and people, which has led to famine and disease. The armed group has also planted improvised explosive devices on roads and destroyed bridges, water sources, and communication infrastructure.

Human Rights Watch has found that all parties are responsible for war crimes, including willful killing, attacks on civilians and civilian property, pillage, and forced displacement. These actions, carried out as part of attacks against a civilian population, also constitute crimes against humanity.

The report concludes that President Ibrahim Traoré, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and six senior Burkinabè military commanders could be held responsible for serious violations under the principle of command responsibility and should be investigated. Iyad Ag Ghaly, the supreme leader of GSIM who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes in Mali in 2012-2013, and four GSIM commanders could also be held accountable for abuses in Burkina Faso and should likewise be investigated.

Members of all warring parties in the country operate with near-total impunity. Victims and their families reported that they either lack access to or have no faith in the national judicial institutions. Government officials have denied or downplayed allegations of abuse, particularly those committed by military forces and militias, and have failed to conduct credible investigations.

Human Rights Watch stated that governments have taken little action in response to these heinous crimes. Burkina Faso’s international partners—including the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and its member states, and the United States—should work to address the long-standing cycles of abuse and impunity. They should promote accountability by imposing targeted sanctions on commanders identified by Human Rights Watch as responsible for abuses. The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC should open a preliminary examination into the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all parties in Burkina Faso since September 2022.

“The world must recognize the scale of the atrocities unfolding in Burkina Faso so that they can be stopped,” concluded Philippe Bolopion. “Regional bodies and partner governments should cooperate with Burkinabè authorities and urge them to address the grave violations committed by all parties and to establish genuine accountability.”