In a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), it has been revealed that Burkina Faso’s military forces carried out the “summary execution” of 223 civilians, among them 56 children, in two villages during February.
The tragic events unfolded on February 25 in the northern villages of Nondin and Soro, as outlined in the report released on Thursday. HRW highlighted that these mass killings seemed to be part of a broader military operation targeting civilians suspected of collaborating with armed groups.
In Nondin, soldiers were responsible for the deaths of at least 44 individuals, including 20 children, while in the nearby village of Soro, the death toll reached 179, with 36 children among the victims.
HRW conducted interviews with numerous witnesses from February to March and scrutinized videos and photos provided by survivors. They also obtained lists of victims’ names compiled by survivors and identified eight mass graves through satellite imagery from March 15.
During February 24 and 25, armed groups launched attacks on military installations, including barracks and bases, as well as civilian infrastructure like religious sites. These attacks resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians, soldiers, and militia members.
Burkina Faso has been plagued by conflict involving armed groups associated with al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), as well as clashes with security forces. This violence has led to the displacement of over two million people and caused nearly 20,000 deaths. Approximately half of the country is outside government control. Currently, the nation is under the rule of a military government led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a coup in September 2022, following an earlier military coup that ousted the democratically elected President Roch Marc Kabore.
