Burkina Faso: Army and Jihadists Killed Over 1,800 Civilians
A Human Rights Watch report says over 1,800 civilians died in Burkina Faso from 2023 to 2025. The army and militias are blamed for many of the deaths. Human Rights Watch wants an investigation by the International Criminal Court.
The report details 1,255 deaths caused by the Burkinabè army and allied groups, and 582 deaths caused by the Jnim, a group linked to Al-Qaïda. Human Rights Watch considers these events war crimes and crimes against humanity. The government of Burkina Faso denies the report’s findings. The report suggests the army and militias are more violent than the jihadists. The Fulani ethnic group has been specifically targeted.
Summarized from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
Highlights
High Civilian Deaths
Over 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since 2023, according to Human Rights Watch.
Army Responsibility
The Burkinabe army and allied militias are responsible for the majority of civilian deaths.
Jihadist Involvement
Jihadists are also responsible for a significant number of civilian deaths.
HRW Report Details
Human Rights Watch reports 1,837 civilian deaths between January 2023 and August 2025.
Government Rejection
The government of Burkina Faso rejects the Human Rights Watch report and claims it is false.
Perspectives
- Over 1,800 civilians were killed in Burkina Faso since 2023.
- The Burkinabé army, affiliated groups, and jihadists were responsible for the deaths.
- Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigated these killings.
- The situation involves serious human rights abuses and violence.
HRW and some sources (DW, France24 English, France24, RFI) blame the Burkinabé army and allied militias for the majority of deaths.
DW English, France24 English, France24, RFI
The Burkinabé government rejects the report and claims the army and civilian supporters were responsible for twice as many deaths as jihadists.
RFI
HRW reports 1,255 deaths caused by the Burkinabé army and affiliated groups, and 582 deaths caused by the Jnim (linked to Al-Qaïda).
France24, FR, Le Monde, RFI
The government claims the army and civilian supporters were responsible for twice as many civilian deaths as jihadists.
RFI