In March, Burkina Faso’s army and allied militias reportedly killed at least 130 civilians from the Fulani ethnic group near the town of Solenzo, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The killings occurred during an extensive military operation by special forces, which led to significant civilian casualties and the displacement of the Fulani pastoralist community in the area, as detailed in a report released by the rights organization on Monday.
Following these events, an Al-Qaeda-linked group, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), launched a series of retaliatory attacks against villages perceived to have supported the military.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior researcher at HRW focused on the Sahel region, stated that the widely circulated videos depicting the atrocities committed by pro-government militias near Solenzo only revealed part of the situation.
Further investigations indicated that Burkina Faso’s military was accountable for these mass killings of Fulani civilians, which were subsequently met with violent reprisals from an Islamist armed group.
Allegrozzi emphasized the need for the government to conduct an impartial investigation into these deaths and hold all responsible parties accountable. HRW had previously indicated in March that the government’s involvement was likely supported by video evidence available online.
At that time, the government firmly rejected the accusations, stating in a press release that it “condemned the spread of images on social media that incite hatred and community violence, as well as false information intended to disrupt social harmony” in the West African nation.
Burkina Faso’s government and military have not yet responded to Monday’s report, which claimed that the Burkinabe army “was involved in and led the massacre of over 130, and potentially many more, ethnic Fulani civilians by pro-government militias.”
