A recently surfaced video of a civilian massacre in Burkina Faso appears to implicate government-allied militias, according to Human Rights Watch.
The watchdog has urged authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
Witness testimonies indicate that security forces and allied militias conducted operations in Solenzo earlier this week.
The attacks appeared to target displaced Fulani civilians, a community frequently accused by the government of supporting militias.
“The gruesome videos of an apparent massacre by pro-government militias underscore the pervasive lack of accountability,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch.
She called for immediate action to halt militia attacks on civilians and to punish those responsible.
The Burkina Faso government has denied the allegations, condemning the spread of social media content that it claims incites hate and threatens national unity.
Burkina Faso, a nation of 23 million in the volatile Sahel region, has become a focal point of the West African security crisis.
Years of extremist violence and government counterattacks have destabilized the country, leading to two military coups.
Despite promises of stability, the ruling junta has struggled to regain control, with over 60% of the country reportedly outside government authority.
Human Rights Watch reports that most victims in the Solenzo massacre appear to be ethnic Fulani, with at least 58 deaths, including children.
The organization has previously documented widespread abuses by Burkina Faso’s military and militias during counterinsurgency efforts.
