Burkina Conflict Killings may Amount to war Crimes- HRW
Last update: April 2, 2026
Disclaimer: This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. We only recommend products or services that we personally use and believe will add value to our readers. Your support is appreciated!
HRW report claimed in August 2024, JNIM fighters attacked the town of Barsalogho, killing at least 133 people and injuring more than 200 within hours..
Burkina Faso’s military, allied civilian militias and Islamist insurgents have killed more than 1,800 civilians since 2023 in acts that may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday.
The West African country, led by a junta under Captain Ibrahim Traore following a September 2022 coup, has struggled to contain a worsening insurgency linked to groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
The army has relied heavily on civilian auxiliaries known as the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP) to support its counterinsurgency operations.
Human Rights Watch said that government forces, VDP fighters and the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) were responsible for at least 1,837 civilian deaths across 11 regions between January 2023 and August 2025, including dozens of children.
According to the report, the military and its auxiliaries were responsible for at least 1,255 civilian deaths in 33 incidents between January 2023 and April 2025, while JNIM accounted for at least 582 deaths in 24 attacks during the same period.
The watchdog called on the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary examination into alleged crimes committed by all parties to the conflict since September 2022.
The findings were based on analysis of open-source material, including images and satellite data, as well as interviews with more than 450 people across Burkina Faso and neighbouring countries.
In one of the deadliest incidents, Burkinabe forces and VDP fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians in at least 16 villages north of Djibo over several days in December 2023.
Survivors described the killings as “butchery” and said they had suffered lasting psychological trauma, the report said.
Human Rights Watch also accused JNIM of targeting civilians who refused to submit to its authority or were suspected of supporting government forces.
