Civilians killed in acts of ‘war crimes’ – HRW

Burkina Faso's army, its civilian auxiliaries and jihadist groups combined have killed more than 1 800 civilians since 2023 in acts that constitute ‘war crimes and crimes against humanity’, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on Thursday. According to France24, Burkina's ruling junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré that took power in a September 2022 coup has been unable to stem violence waged by jihadist groups affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, which have caused thousands of deaths over the past decade. The army relies on the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), made up of civilian volunteers recruited to aid in the fight against jihadists. The army, VDP and the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, an al Qaeda affiliate known by its Arabic acronym JNIM, have killed ‘at least 1 837 civilians in 11 regions of the country between January 2023 and August 2025’, including dozens of children, in 57 incidents, HRW said. ‘The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should open a preliminary examination into war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by all parties to the conflict in Burkina Faso since September 2022,’ the report said. The rights watchdog said its report was based on verification and analysis of open source information – including photos, videos and satellite imagery – along with interviews with more than 450 people living in Burkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Mali. HRW also called on Burkina Faso's partners and donors to impose sanctions and to refrain from cooperating with the country's army.

Full France24 report

Meanwhile, Traore, says that people need to ‘forget’ about democracy, just three months after his government dissolved all political parties in the West African nation, reports Al jazeera. Speaking to journalists in a lengthy interview on state television on Thursday, Traore referenced Libya as an example of a country where he said outsiders attempted to ‘impose democracy’ but failed. ‘People need to forget about the issue of democracy,’ he said. ‘We have to tell the truth: democracy isn’t for us.’ It’s the latest sign of Traore’s government distancing itself from the initial promises it made to set the country back on a democratic path. Traore seized power in September 2022, eight months after an earlier military coup he was involved in overthrew the democratically elected government of President Roch Marc Kabore. Traore, who has gained widespread admiration from the African diaspora for his anti-Western rhetoric, initially promised to organise elections in 2024. A year later, the leader reneged and said elections would not be held until all parts of Burkina Faso are safe for voting.

In January, Traore’s government scrapped more than 100 political parties and seized their assets. Parliament and all political activity had previously been suspended after Traore took power. The Independent National Electoral Commission was dissolved in July 2025 after Traore’s government claimed the agency was too expensive. Analysts have also raised concerns about the government’s apparent targeting of other institutions, including the media and judiciary. Journalists, political opposition leaders and prosecutors critical of the military government have been forcibly conscripted and sent to the front lines in recent months, with some later released, according to Al Jazeera. Similar moves against political parties have been taken by neighbouring military governments in Niger and Mali, which are also battling armed group violence. All three countries exited the regional Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) bloc to form their own Alliance of Sahel States last January after pressure to hold elections.

Full Al Jazeera report