(AP) – A Video footage circulating on social media allegedly implicates government-allied militia in a recent civilian massacre in Burkina Faso, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The rights organization has urged authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
Based on testimonies collected by HRW, security forces, and their allied militias conducted large-scale operations in the Solenzo countryside on Monday and Tuesday, targeting displaced Fulani civilians in what appeared to be retaliatory attacks. The government has long accused the Fulani community of supporting Muslim militant groups.
“The gruesome videos of an apparent massacre by pro-government militias in Burkina Faso underscore the pervasive lack of accountability of these forces,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. She further urged authorities to “take immediate action to end militia group attacks on civilians by punishing those responsible for atrocities like in Solenzo.”
Government Denies Allegations
The Burkina Faso government has refuted the allegations, issuing a statement condemning the circulation of “images inducing hate and community violence, and fake information aimed at undermining social cohesion” in the country.
Burkina Faso, a landlocked nation of 23 million in the Sahel region, has become a focal point of the region’s worsening security crisis. The country has been plagued by violence involving extremist groups and government forces, much of it spilling over from neighboring Mali. Political instability has further compounded the crisis, with two military coups taking place in recent years.
Rising Instability Under the Military Junta
The military junta, which seized power in 2022, has failed to deliver the stability it promised. Conservative estimates suggest that more than 60% of Burkina Faso is now outside government control, over 2.1 million people have been displaced, and nearly 6.5 million require humanitarian aid.
According to HRW’s analysis of video footage, media reports, and local sources, most victims of the Solenzo massacre appear to be ethnic Fulani. The footage reportedly shows at least 58 individuals dead or dying, including at least two children.
Analysts argue that the junta’s approach to counterinsurgency—marked by mass recruitment of civilians into poorly trained militia units—has worsened ethnic tensions. Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project indicates that attacks on civilians by militias have risen sharply since Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power.
HRW has documented widespread abuses by Burkina Faso’s armed forces and allied militias, including unlawful killings of Fulani civilians accused of supporting Islamist fighters.
Restricted Information and Censorship
Accurately assessing the situation in Burkina Faso is increasingly difficult due to heavy censorship imposed by the military leadership, rights groups say. Reports indicate that individuals who speak out risk abduction, imprisonment, or forced conscription into the military.
