More than 1,800 killed by army and jihadists in Burkina Faso since 2023, NGO reports

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A new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented at least 1,837 civilian deaths in Burkina Faso between January 2023 and August 2025, attributing them to the country's army, its civilian auxiliaries, and jihadist groups. The findings, released on Thursday, allege that both government forces and armed opposition groups committed acts that constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the report, the vast majority of the documented deaths — at least 1,255 — resulted from 33 incidents carried out by the military and the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP), a civilian auxiliary force, between January 2023 and April 2025. The al-Qaeda-linked group JNIM (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) was held responsible for at least 582 deaths in 24 attacks over the same period.

Coverage comparison

The report, titled "None Can Run Away," has been covered by multiple international outlets, including Al Jazeera, France 24, RFI, and The Hindu. All sources agree on the core figures and the report's central allegations, though their framing differs slightly.

Al Jazeera emphasized the "ethnic cleansing of Fulani civilians" and described the military's actions as "atrocities," using direct quotes from HRW representatives and witnesses. France 24 and The Hindu adopted a more neutral tone, summarizing the report's findings without loaded language. RFI provided additional detail, including quotes from Jean-Baptiste Gallopin, a senior advisor at HRW, and noted the report's call for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a preliminary examination.

While all four outlets reported the same headline statistics, Al Jazeera and RFI placed greater emphasis on the ethnic dimension of the violence, with RFI quoting Gallopin as saying that government forces and the VDP were committing "ethnic cleansing" against the Fulani population.

Key claims

• Civilian death toll: More than 1,800 civilians have been killed since 2023. HRW's report specifies at least 1,837 deaths across 11 regions of Burkina Faso, in 57 verified incidents.
• Government forces' responsibility: At least 1,255 civilians were killed by the military and VDPs in 33 incidents between January 2023 and April 2025.
• JNIM's responsibility: At least 582 deaths were attributed to JNIM in 24 attacks over the same period.
• Massacre near Djibo: In December 2023, Burkinabe military and VDPs killed more than 400 civilians in about 16 villages north of the town of Djibo, according to HRW. Survivors described the killings as "butchery."
• Barsalogho attack: JNIM killed at least 133 civilians, including dozens of children, in the central town of Barsalogho in August 2024.
• Ethnic cleansing allegations: The report claims that the military government, which took power in a September 2022 coup, and its allies targeted the Fulani ethnic group because of alleged support for armed groups, resulting in the ethnic cleansing of entire communities. This claim, carried by Al Jazeera and RFI, has not been independently verified by other outlets in the coverage reviewed.
• Potential liability: HRW stated that President Ibrahim Traore, the supreme commander of the armed forces, and six senior Burkinabe military commanders may be liable for grave abuses and should be investigated. Similarly, Iyad Ag Ghaly, JNIM's supreme leader, and four JNIM commanders may be liable as a matter of command responsibility for abuses by the group.

Perspectives

The HRW report calls on the ICC's Office of the Prosecutor to open a preliminary examination into war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by all parties to the conflict since September 2022. It also urges Burkina Faso's partners and donors to impose sanctions and refrain from cooperating with the country's army.

Burkina Faso's ruling junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, has not responded to the report's findings. The government has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses by its forces, and has previously rejected similar accusations from international organizations.

The report's methodology, based on interviews with more than 450 people across Burkina Faso and neighboring countries (Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Mali), along with open-source analysis including satellite imagery and audiovisual material, has been noted by all sources. However, the report's findings have not been independently verified by third parties.

The conflict in Burkina Faso has displaced an estimated two million people, according to the United Nations, and has contributed to the Sahel region becoming the world's deadliest area for terrorism, as noted by RFI.

HRW's recommendation that international partners impose sanctions reflects growing frustration among rights groups with the lack of accountability in the country. The report also highlights the challenges victims face in seeking justice, with Gallopin telling RFI that families who filed complaints were threatened and even magistrates investigating cases suffered reprisals.

As the international community weighs its response, the report adds to mounting evidence of the severe toll the conflict has taken on civilians, while also underscoring the complexity of a crisis in which multiple armed actors are implicated.