200 dead in Burkina Faso military massacre, rights group says
Burkina Faso’s military personnel killed 223 civilians after two villages were thought to be cooperating with militants, a report by the Human Rights Watch revealed, according to The Associated Press.
On 25th February, the mass killings took the lives of at least 56 children between the northern villages of Nondin and Soro.
The Executive Director of the HRW, Tirana Hassan stated that “international assistance is critical to support a credible investigation into possible crimes against humanity.”
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The report detailed a rare firsthand account of the junta massacre by survivors.
These survivors believed that the recent attack was believed to be a retaliation against Islamic fighters for an attack on a military camp near Ouahigouya, the provincial capital.
According to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN did not have any confirmation of the attack but stated that the HRW reports “are extremely, extremely disturbing and we will be looking into them.”
The Associated Press was able to verify a similar attack on another village that occurred last November killed 70 civilians and babies after the country’s army accused the villagers of cooperating with militants.
Since the jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State struck Burkina Faso nine years ago, over 20,000 people have been killed.
Burkina Faso experienced two military coups in 2022. The junta’s promise of reducing militant presence has proved to be unsuccessful as violence has worsened, according to analysts.
The BBC reported that their broadcasts, alongside Voice of America, have been suspended in Burkina Faso for two weeks, due to the broadcaster’s coverage of the HRW report.
AP/BBC
