HRW Reports Widespread Civilian Killings in Burkina Faso as Ibrahim Traoré Rejects Democratic Transition
HRW Reports Widespread Civilian Killings in Burkina Faso as Ibrahim Traoré Rejects Democratic Transition
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Burkina Faso’s military and allied armed groups have been responsible for large-scale abuses against civilians, with more than 1,800 people killed since 2023, according to a detailed report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The findings come amid statements by the country’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, dismissing the prospect of democratic governance.
More details in the following report:
More than 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since 2023 amid escalating violence involving government forces, allied militias, and armed groups, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The report, based on over 450 interviews and verified evidence, documented at least 57 incidents between January 2023 and August 2025. Of the 1,837 recorded civilian deaths, more than 1,200 were attributed to government forces and allied militias known as the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDPs), while attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin also caused mass casualties.
Major incidents included the killing of more than 400 civilians in December 2023 across roughly 16 villages near Djibo, and an August 2024 attack in Barsalogho in which at least 133 civilians, including dozens of children, were killed by JNIM fighters. HRW also reported targeted killings of Fulani civilians, describing the pattern as ethnic cleansing.
The conflict has displaced at least two million people, with broader estimates reaching 2.1 million—about 9 percent of the population—amid a jihadist insurgency that has continued since 2014.
HRW stated that Ibrahim Traoré and several senior commanders could bear responsibility for abuses, while also calling for investigations into JNIM leadership.
Separately, Traoré—who seized power in a 2022 coup—has tightened political control, banning parties and extending the transition to 2029. He recently dismissed plans for democratic governance, arguing it is not suitable for the country.
A transition to democracy had originally been planned for 2024, but that year the junta extended Traoré’s rule until 2029.
