A devastating report by Human Rights Watch reveals that the Burkina Faso military killed over 220 civilians, including at least 56 children, in a single day of violence on February 25. The attacks occurred in the villages of Soro and Nondin, where 179 and 44 people were killed, respectively.
Human Rights Watch has condemned the mass killings as “among the worst army abuse” incidents in the country in nearly a decade. Despite the severity of the allegations, Burkinabè authorities have yet to comment on the report.
Last month, Public Prosecutor Aly Benjamin Coulibaly appealed for witnesses to come forward and identify the group responsible for the mass killings, initially estimating the death toll at 170.
Survivors of the attack told Human Rights Watch that a military convoy of over 100 soldiers descended on Nondin village, just 30 minutes after Islamist fighters had passed through the area. The soldiers went door-to-door, forcibly removing residents from their homes and perpetrating the brutal massacre.
The report sheds light on the horrific violence inflicted upon innocent civilians, and demands accountability from the Burkinabè authorities for the atrocities committed by their military.”
“They then rounded up villagers in groups before opening fire on them,” the report added, citing witness and survivor accounts.
They arrived in Soro, about 5km (3 miles) away, an hour later, also gathering and shooting at villagers, the survivors added.
In both villages, the soldiers also shot at those who attempted to hide or escape, witnesses said.
The mass killings are believed to be retaliation by the military, which accused the villagers of aiding armed Islamist fighters.
They followed an attack by Islamist fighters on a nearby military camp in the northern Yatenga province.
A survivor was quoted as saying that before the shootings, the soldiers accused the residents of failing to cooperate with them by not informing them of the movements of the Islamist fighters.
“The massacres in Nondin and Soro villages are just the latest mass killings of civilians by the Burkina Faso military in their counterinsurgency operations,” said Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch.
The Sahel country is ruled by a military junta, which seized power in a coup in 2022, promising to end the insurgency.
The violence has however continued to escalate, with more than a third of Burkina Faso controlled by jihadist groups.
International and human rights groups including the European Union and UN have accused Burkina Faso of serious human rights violations in its fight against insurgency, including the indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of dozens of civilians.
