Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a troubling report detailing the intensified violence in Burkina Faso, perpetrated by armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). The NGO’s findings, released recently, reveal that since February 2024, these militant factions have been responsible for at least 128 civilian deaths across seven separate attacks. These acts are deemed to be serious violations of international humanitarian law and are categorized as war crimes.
The HRW report underscores a disturbing trend of escalating violence, with these groups targeting not only villagers and displaced persons but also Christian worshippers. The nature of these attacks reflects a broader pattern of brutality and deliberate targeting of non-combatants, raising serious concerns about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW, has voiced deep concern over this surge in Islamist violence. Allegrozzi has called on the leaders of these militant groups to halt their violent campaigns and adhere to international standards of conduct in conflict situations.
Burkina Faso, under the leadership of military ruler Ibrahim Traore, has been grappling with an ongoing insurgency since 2016. The country has become a battleground for the ISIL affiliate in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which have shifted their operations from neighboring Mali. In response to this insurgency, Traore’s government has sought to involve civilians in the conflict. This has included the recruitment of thousands of volunteer fighters to support the military efforts and the imposition of tasks such as digging defensive trenches to bolster the country’s defense against the insurgents.
This report highlights the severe humanitarian impact of the conflict and the urgent need for international intervention to address the crisis and protect vulnerable populations in Burkina Faso.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported a series of brutal attacks, including an assault by the ISIL affiliate in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) on a church in Essakane, near the Niger border, in February. This attack, claimed by ISGS, targeted Christians who were unwilling to abandon their faith, resulting in at least 12 fatalities.
The report also highlights that Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) was responsible for six additional attacks, including a June offensive on an army base near Niger that killed 107 soldiers and at least 20 civilians.
Furthermore, in late August, JNIM reportedly carried out an attack on civilians who were digging defensive trenches around Barsalogho in north-central Burkina Faso, leading to up to 400 deaths.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project estimates that since 2016, over 26,000 people, including soldiers, militia members, and civilians, have lost their lives in Burkina Faso.
