“The scale of atrocities in Burkina Faso is staggering, matched only by the world’s failure to pay attention to this crisis,” said Philippe Bolopion, deputy executive director at Human Rights Watch. “The junta itself commits horrific abuses, fails to hold perpetrators accountable, and restricts information flows to conceal civilian suffering.”
Human Rights Watch interviewed over 450 people in Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, as well as via phone, about grave violations between January 2023 and August 2025. Researchers also analyzed open-source data, including satellite imagery, thousands of hours of audiovisual recordings, and official documents to verify incidents and identify commanders from all factions.
Junta’s repression fuels cycle of violence
Under President Ibrahim Traoré, the junta has intensified repression against political opposition, peaceful dissent, and independent media, creating an atmosphere of terror and severely limiting conflict-related information. Since 2016, the GSIM and other Islamist armed groups have waged an insurgency against successive governments in Burkina Faso as part of a broader Sahel offensive. The GSIM has killed civilians, looted property, and triggered violent counterinsurgency campaigns by the junta. Both the military and GSIM have systematically targeted civilians from communities accused of supporting opposing factions, making murder and forced displacement key tactics.
In one of the deadliest incidents, the Burkinabè army and allied militias killed over 400 civilians in December 2023 across 16 villages near Djibo, northern Burkina Faso, during an operation codenamed Tchéfari 2 (“Warriors’ Honey” in Fulfulde). A 35-year-old woman recounted: “[The militiamen] opened fire… My two daughters died instantly.” She and her 9-month-old son were severely wounded by gunfire. She heard a militiaman say: “Make sure no one breathes before leaving.”
The army and militias have specifically targeted Fulani communities over alleged support for Islamist armed groups, leading to the ethnic cleansing of entire villages. In November 2023, government-allied militias killed 13 Fulani civilians, including six women and four children, in the western village of Bassé. A 41-year-old man described the scene: “All the bodies, except my son’s, were piled in the courtyard, blindfolded, with torn clothes and hands tied behind their backs… riddled with bullets.” He added: “My son… lay face down. He had been shot in the back of the neck.”
The GSIM has used widespread threats and violence to subdue and punish communities in its bid to control rural areas. On August 24, 2024, the group killed at least 133 civilians, including dozens of children, in Barsalogho, central Burkina Faso, accusing the entire community of supporting the VDP. A 39-year-old man recalled: “[GSIM fighters] shot continuously, as if they had endless ammunition. People fell like flies. They came to exterminate us. No one was spared.” Five members of his family were killed in the attack.
Systematic violations and impunity
The GSIM has besieged dozens of towns and villages across Burkina Faso, blocking the movement of goods and people, causing famine and disease. The group has planted improvised explosive devices on roads, destroyed bridges, water sources, and communication infrastructure.
Human Rights Watch found all parties responsible for war crimes, including intentional homicide, attacks on civilians and civilian property, looting, and forced displacement. These acts, committed as part of attacks on a civilian population, also constitute crimes against humanity.
Human Rights Watch concluded that President Ibrahim Traoré, as supreme commander of the armed forces, and six high-ranking Burkinabè military commanders could be held accountable under command responsibility and should be investigated. Iyad Ag Ghaly, GSIM’s supreme leader—sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes in Mali in 2012–2013—and four GSIM commanders could also be held accountable for abuses committed by the group in Burkina Faso under command responsibility and should face investigation.
Near-total impunity persists for members of all warring factions. Victims and families reported a lack of trust or access to national judicial institutions. Government representatives have denied or downplayed abuse allegations, particularly those involving military forces and militias, and failed to conduct credible investigations.
International partners of Burkina Faso—including the United Nations, African Union, European Union and its member states, and the United States—must act to break the cycle of abuse and impunity. They should promote accountability, including imposing targeted sanctions on commanders identified by Human Rights Watch as responsible for abuses. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor should open a preliminary examination into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all parties in the conflict since September 2022.
“The world must recognize the scale of atrocities unfolding in Burkina Faso so they can be stopped,” Bolopion concluded. “Regional bodies and international partners should work with Burkinabè authorities to address grave violations by all sides and ensure genuine accountability.”
By Aïcha Abdou — Senior correspondent
