Rights watchdog calls for investigation into B. Faso massacre linked to gov’t-aligned militias

Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling for an investigation into a brutal massacre in Burkina Faso, where dozens of civilians were reportedly killed by government-aligned militias.
The attack occurred in the western city of Solenzo, with video footage circulating on social media showing bodies of ethnic Fulani civilians, including women, children and elderly, bound and left dead or dying. The advocacy group estimates, based on the footage available, that at least 58 people were victims of the massacre. It is believed to be a retaliatory attack targeting the Fulani community, which has been accused of supporting Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region. Burkina Faso’s military junta, which took power in a 2022 coup, has increasingly relied on rapid intervention battalions and militias in its fight against jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. However, these groups have been implicated in numerous human rights violations, including unlawful killings of Fulani civilians.
Burkinabe prime minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo has denied the accusations, calling the videos “manipulative” and describing them as attempts to discredit the military. He also announced the creation of new rapid response forces, recruiting 14,000 soldiers and thousands of civilian support staff, to fight jihadist violence. Despite these assurances, the country’s worsening security situation — marked by a decade of Islamist violence that has left an estimated 26,000 soldiers and civilians dead — has raised concerns about the junta’s ability to maintain control and protect civilians. HRW has urged Burkina Faso’s leaders to take immediate action against those responsible for the massacre and to uphold accountability in the ongoing conflict.