Burkina Faso: Army accused of killing 48 civilians

According to RFI on August 6, the armed forces of Burkina Faso have attacked a village in retaliation for a terrorist attack earlier this week. On August 4, a terrorist organisation attacked a convoy of vehicles aimed at refuelling a mining company near Dori.

The attack left more than 10 dead and 15 injured amongst the military personnel. According to villagers in the region, the Burkinabe army retaliated against them, accusing them of helping and collaborating with terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM in Burkina Faso.

The mining company Essakane was awaiting this refuelling. The company owns the largest gold mine in Burkina Faso. The attack took place with an improvised explosive device that was set off as the military convoy arrived on the other side of the road. The surviving and healthy military men would have then attacked the terrorists that ambushed them, after which they went to two villages located 5 kilometres from the route, Alkoma and Sambonaye.

Villagers told RFI they heard an explosion, and later saw soldiers arrive and accuse them of being complicit in the previous ambush. An old man told RFI that he saw the army killing his 4 sons: “They were between 14 and 24 and were all killed in my field,” he further explained.

Neither the army nor the government have reacted to these accusations. A security source, however, confirmed the incident was linked to the mines but with little detail.

In total, the villagers counted 48 people killed. As the army arrived in the village, they found many people working. One man explained that “This is the winter season. In the morning, everybody is in the fields to farm.” 

Since his rise to power, military junta leader Ibrahim Traoré has been clear about his intentions as leader of the government. In a statement to a state TV channel, Traoré declared, “People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us,” further adding that it “kills.”

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, more than 1,800 civilians have died since Traoré seized power in 2023. Many NGOs have investigated the military junta’s alleged war crimes and human rights violations. Recent statements by Traoré further clarify his position: “All men that work with me know my ways… and if one of them makes a mistake, I am going to crush you without any remorse. There are no strong men with me.“

RFI, BBC, Human Rights Watch, Maghrebi.org