Hundreds of protestors gathered outside the US embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Friday, voicing their discontent with Washington’s reaction to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accusing the military of massacring civilians.
The HRW report, released in late April, alleges that soldiers killed at least 223 people, including children, in revenge attacks on two villages in February.
Both the US and UK expressed grave concern and urged a thorough investigation.
However, the Burkina Faso government vehemently denied the accusations, calling the HRW report “baseless.”
This stance found support among the protestors who marched towards the US embassy, draped in national and Russian flags.
They chanted anti-imperialist slogans and demanded the US stop criticizing their armed forces, which they consider national heroes fighting against insurgency.
Further escalating tensions, Burkina Faso suspended several international news outlets, including BBC and Voice of America, for broadcasting the massacre allegations.
The government also summoned the US Charge d’Affaires to express their disapproval of Washington’s stance.
The public outrage highlights the deep mistrust towards Western powers in Burkina Faso.
Protesters questioned the silence of human rights groups on the violence but readily criticized accusations against their own military.
This simmering resentment comes amidst an ongoing insurgency that has devastated the country, claiming thousands of lives and displacing millions.
The military’s struggle against the insurgency has fueled public frustration and led to two coups in 2022.
