Ouagadougou: Burkina Faso has firmly rejected a report claiming that more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in acts allegedly amounting to "crimes against humanity" since the military junta led by Ibrahim Traoré took power.
According to BBC, the report, which was released recently, has been dismissed by the government as "false" and consisting of "conjecture and serious unfounded claims." The government has asserted that the report aims to "demonise" the country's troops, who they insist have always acted with "professionalism." Previous accusations of civilian killings by government forces have also been denied.
The Human Rights Watch report attributes a significant portion of the killings – 1,255 deaths – to the military and allied militias, while the rest are blamed on Islamist militants. Between January 2023 and August 2025, approximately 1,837 civilians, including children, were reportedly killed in 57 incidents. HRW suggests that President Traoré and six senior military commanders "may be liable as a matter of command responsibility for grave abuses and should be investigated," along with five jihadist leaders.
The military's rationale for seizing power included addressing jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda, which have been waging an insurgency in Burkina Faso and its neighboring countries for over a decade. The report was compiled using open-source information, including photos, videos, satellite imagery, and interviews with witnesses and survivors.
The report accuses all sides of being responsible for war crimes, including willful killing, attacks on civilians and civilian objects, pillage and looting, and forced displacement. It claims the junta has committed "horrific abuses" and has failed to hold perpetrators accountable, while also obstructing reporting to conceal the suffering of civilians caught in the violence.
Philippe Bolopion, HRW's executive director, expressed concern over the lack of global attention to the crisis in Burkina Faso. The report details one of the deadliest incidents, which occurred in December 2023, where the military and allied militias allegedly killed over 400 civilians in Djibo. Survivors recounted the brutality of the attacks and the deep psychological trauma they continue to endure.
The militias allied with the military, known as the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), consist of civilians recruited to support the army's fight against jihadist groups. Critics have accused the junta of forcing dissenters to join the group as a form of punishment. Traoré has defended the conscription policy, arguing that individual freedoms are not superior to national freedom.
Since the military government assumed power, authorities have faced accusations of targeting civilians in response to attacks by the al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM, the largest jihadist group in the country. Civilians report feeling trapped between threats from both JNIM and government forces. HRW highlights widespread threats and violence from JNIM, which has targeted civilians who refuse to submit to its authority.
HRW is urging the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into the alleged crimes committed by all parties since September 2022. The rights group also calls on Burkina Faso's partners and donors to impose sanctions and cease cooperation with the country's army.
Since taking power in September 2022 after overthrowing Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, Ibrahim Traoré has gained support across the continent for his pan-Africanist vision and criticism of Western influence. Burkina Faso, along with neighboring Mali and Niger, has shifted away from Western alliances, particularly with France, in its fight against Islamist groups, instead seeking military assistance from Russia. Despite these efforts, the violence persists.