Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday accused Burkina Faso’s military of orchestrating and directly participating in the mass killing of at least 130 ethnic Fulani civilians in March, in coordination with pro-government militias.
The international rights organisation issued the allegation after disturbing videos began circulating on social media, allegedly showing the aftermath of the massacre with dozens of bloodied bodies. HRW has called on Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta to ensure a transparent investigation into the killings.
According to HRW, “The Burkina Faso army led and participated in the massacre of more than 130, possibly many more, ethnic Fulani civilians by pro-government militias in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region in March 2025.”
The junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has denied any involvement in the violence. However, judicial authorities have launched an investigation into calls reportedly made for the “extermination” of the Fulani population.
The military, supported by the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP)—a militia force established to combat jihadist insurgents—has repeatedly faced allegations of abuses against civilians. In its latest report, HRW said it interviewed around 30 witnesses and survivors, many of whom described the March violence as part of a broader counterinsurgency offensive that targeted Fulani communities, leading to widespread killings and displacements.
HRW detailed that during the operation, government troops and the VDP allegedly coordinated to block escape routes, effectively trapping civilians as violence surged northward from Banwa province toward neighbouring Sourou province. “At least 130” were killed, the group reported, noting that the real number may be significantly higher.
Witnesses from Banwa province recounted a six-day campaign during which VDP fighters reportedly fired at or above civilians, looted cattle, and forced entire villages to flee. One Fulani herder told HRW that the campaign forced “thousands of Fulani families from over 20 villages [to] head for Mali in search of protection.”
HRW’s senior regional researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, emphasised the urgent need for accountability. “The government needs to impartially investigate these deaths and prosecute all those responsible,” she said.
Allegrozzi also underscored the lack of international attention on the crisis, warning that “the scope of the atrocities committed by government forces, militias, and Islamist armed groups in western Burkina Faso remains “grossly overlooked.”
