At least 100 ethnic Fulani civilians were killed by Burkina Faso’s military and allied pro-government militias in a series of deadly attacks between late February and early April near the western town of Solenzo, according to a new report released Monday by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report, based on eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and satellite imagery, attributes the killings to Burkina Faso’s special forces and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) — a civilian militia backed by the state. Victims described aerial surveillance by military drones and indiscriminate shooting of villagers, including women and children.
The crackdown, which reportedly began on February 27 and lasted through April 2, swept through multiple towns in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, forcing hundreds of Fulani to flee across the border into Mali. Witnesses said entire villages were emptied, with Fulani civilians killed, taken hostage, or displaced, while other ethnic groups remained untouched.
Human Rights Watch linked the atrocities to the government’s longstanding suspicion of Fulani communities as supporters of Islamist militants. The group also documented retaliatory killings by jihadist fighters from Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), who returned to the area after government troops withdrew. In one town, Tiao, a witness counted over 70 bodies of men executed by JNIM, believed to be collaborators with the military. “These killings demonstrate a clear pattern of abuse by Burkina Faso’s military forces and their auxiliaries,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW. “Impartial investigations and accountability are urgently needed.”
The government, which had previously dismissed earlier reports as “fake information” intended to incite ethnic hatred, has not responded to the new findings. Since the military junta seized power in 2022, Burkina Faso has been mired in escalating violence. Over 60% of the country is outside state control, and more than 2.1 million people have been displaced, with 6.5 million in need of humanitarian aid, according to UN agencies.
Analysts warn that the junta’s reliance on civilian militias and a strategy of scorched-earth military campaigns are fueling ethnic divisions and worsening the humanitarian crisis. Rights groups say independent reporting has become nearly impossible due to strict censorship and reprisals against dissenters, including forced conscription and abductions.
