Burkina Faso: escalating crimes against humanity by all warring factions

Since 2023, the Burkina Faso military, allied militias, and an Al-Qaeda-linked armed group have collectively killed over 1,800 civilians and forcibly displaced tens of thousands, according to a comprehensive report documenting war crimes and crimes against humanity across the country.

Key findings from the investigation

• The Burkina Faso army, alongside allied militias like the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), and the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM)—an Al-Qaeda affiliate—have systematically targeted civilians, resulting in mass casualties and displacement.
• Both state forces and armed groups have engaged in ethnic cleansing, particularly against the Fulani community, whom the military accuses of supporting Islamist factions.
• The military junta under President Ibrahim Traoré has suppressed political dissent, independent media, and civil society, creating an environment of fear and censorship that obscures the true scale of atrocities.
• International partners, including the UN, African Union, and EU, are urged to hold all parties accountable and impose targeted sanctions on commanders implicated in these crimes.

Human rights violations escalate under junta rule

Since seizing power in September 2022, the military junta has intensified repression, using violence to suppress opposition while failing to investigate abuses by its own forces or allied militias. Research by Human Rights Watch reveals 57 documented incidents involving the Burkina Faso army, VDP militias, and GSIM since 2023, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict.

The report highlights how systematic killings, forced displacements, and collective punishment have become hallmarks of the violence. In December 2023, military forces and allied militias executed over 400 civilians in villages near Djibo, an operation codenamed Tchéfari 2. Survivors recount harrowing details of the massacre:

« They opened fire indiscriminately. My two daughters died instantly. » A 35-year-old woman, severely wounded alongside her 9-month-old son, described how militiamen ordered, « Ensure no one breathes before leaving. »

Ethnic targeting and massacre patterns

The military’s targeting of Fulani communities has led to large-scale ethnic cleansing. In November 2023, VDP militias killed 13 Fulani civilians—including six women and four children—in the village of Bassé. A 41-year-old survivor recounted the brutality:

« All the bodies, except my son’s, were piled in the courtyard. Their eyes were blindfolded, hands tied behind their backs, riddled with bullets. My son… lay face down. He had been shot in the neck. »

The GSIM, meanwhile, has imposed control over rural areas through widespread threats and violence. In August 2024, the group massacred at least 133 civilians in Barsalogho, accusing the entire community of supporting the VDP. A survivor described the attack:

« Theirs was continuous gunfire, as if they had endless ammunition. People fell like flies. They came to exterminate us. No one was spared. » Five members of his family were killed.

International response and accountability gaps

Human Rights Watch’s investigation, based on interviews with over 450 individuals and analysis of satellite imagery, audiovisual evidence, and official documents, confirms that all warring factions—including the Burkinabe army, VDP militias, and GSIM—are responsible for war crimes such as intentional homicide, attacks on civilians, looting, and forced displacement. These acts also constitute crimes against humanity due to their systematic and widespread nature.

The report names key figures, including President Ibrahim Traoré and six high-ranking military commanders, who could face command responsibility for these crimes. Additionally, Iyad Ag Ghaly, the GSIM’s supreme leader (already wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes in Mali), and four GSIM commanders are implicated. Despite overwhelming evidence, impunity persists, with victims and families denied access to justice.

International actors are urged to:

• Collaborate with Burkinabe authorities to address abuses and establish accountability mechanisms.
• Implement targeted sanctions against commanders identified in the report.
• Prompt the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary examination into crimes committed by all parties since September 2022.

« The world must recognize the horrors unfolding in Burkina Faso to bring them to an end », stated Philippe Bolopion, Deputy Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. « Regional bodies and international partners must work with the junta to end impunity and ensure justice for the victims. »