At least 130 civilians were killed by Burkina Faso’s military and allied militias in March near the western town of Solenzo, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The attack, which occurred during an operation led by Burkinabè special forces, has been described as a “massacre” and resulted in widespread civilian deaths, as well as the displacement of ethnic Fulanis.
The Fulani, a pastoralist, largely Muslim community, have frequently been accused by the Burkinabè government of supporting Islamist militants—allegations that community leaders deny. The attack highlights the ongoing violence in the Sahel region, where around 40% of Burkina Faso is controlled by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Despite promises from the military to combat the insurgency, militant attacks have continued, with thousands of deaths and millions displaced. This recent massacre follows a pattern of violent clashes, with reports emerging over the weekend of additional militant attacks that resulted in both military and civilian casualties, although these reports have not been independently verified.
In response to the HRW report, the Burkina Faso government has yet to comment. Last year, the government dismissed similar allegations of a “massacre” involving the deaths of 223 villagers as “baseless” and claimed that any allegations of human rights abuses during the fight against terrorism were systematically investigated.
HRW says it conducted interviews with witnesses, militia members, journalists, and civil society representatives, and analyzed social media videos to confirm the army’s involvement in the March killings. The rights group had previously linked the army to the killings based on early video evidence, but now asserts that further investigation has definitively uncovered the military’s responsibility for the mass civilian deaths.
In addition, HRW reported that at least 100 more civilians were killed in April in retaliatory attacks by jihadist groups targeting those suspected of assisting the military. HRW condemns these mass killings by government forces, militias, and armed Islamist groups as war crimes, urging the government to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable.
The new allegations come as Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, returned from Moscow after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss security cooperation in the Sahel. Since seizing power, Burkina Faso’s military government has shifted its allegiance away from former colonial power France, turning towards Russia for assistance in tackling the ongoing Islamist insurgency.
