Latest news with #Solenzo
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Burkina Faso military killed over 100 civilians in Solenzo 'massacre'
At least 130 civilians were killed by Burkina Faso government forces and allied militia in March near the western town of Solenzo, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in a new says the "massacre", following an operation led by Burkinabè special forces, resulted in widespread civilian deaths and displacement of ethnic Fulani are a pastoralist, largely Muslim community who the government has often accused of backing Islamist militants - an allegation denied by community 40% of Burkina Faso is under the control of groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State operating in West Africa's Sahel region. The attacks, in which thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced, have continued despite promises by the country's military leaders to deal with the of the release of the HRW findings on Monday, there were reports of more militant attacks over the weekend with dozens of military and civilian casualties. The BBC has not been able to confirm these reports and the authorities do not routinely comment on reported jihadist BBC has approached the Burkina Faso govt for comment on the HRW Burkina Faso's junta leader has captured hearts and minds around the worldWhy West Africa has more 'terror deaths' than rest of world combinedThe rights group says it interviewed witnesses, militia members, journalists and the civil society and analysed videos shared on social media to make the findings regarding the army's involvement in the March previously said the army was "implicated" in the killings, based on videos that were being shared online showing dozens of dead and injured people, although the findings were not now says further research has "uncovered that Burkina Faso's military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians". It adds that least 100 more civilians were killed last month in reprisal attacks by jihadist groups against those seen as helping the military."Mass killings of civilians by government security forces, militias, and Islamist armed groups amount to war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes," it rights group has urged the government to investigate and prosecute all those responsible for the crimes. This came as junta leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré returned from Moscow after a Friday meeting with Vladimir Putin on cooperation and security in the the military seized power, Burkina Faso has turned away from colonial power France and towards Russia for help in tacking the Islamist insurgency. You may also be interested in: Freed captive tells BBC of life in West African jihadist baseWhy some Ghanaians are fighting in insurgency-hit Burkina FasoBurkina Faso outcry over 'conscription used to punish junta critics'Mali and Burkina Faso: Did the coups halt jihadist attacks? Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Al Jazeera
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Burkina Faso army, militias killed 130 members of ethnic group, HRW says
At least 130 civilians belonging to the Fulani ethnic group were killed by Burkina Faso's army and allied militias near the western town of Solenzo in March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said. The killings took place amid a major weeks-long military campaign by special forces that resulted in 'widespread civilian deaths and massive displacement' of the Fulani pastoralist community in the region, the rights group said in a report on Monday. It added that an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group called the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) then carried out a series of retaliatory attacks, hitting villages that the armed group perceived as having assisted the military. Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW, said in a statement the 'the viral videos of the atrocities by pro-government militias near Solenzo' that cirinitially circulated 'told only part of the story'. 'Further research uncovered that Burkina Faso's military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians, which were followed by deadly reprisals by an Islamist armed group,' Allegrozzi added. 'The government needs to impartially investigate these deaths and prosecute all those responsible.' HRW had reported in March that the government's involvement was likely due to video evidence online. At that time, the government strongly denied the allegations, saying in a statement it 'condemned the propagation, on social media, of images inducing hate and community violence, and fake information aimed at undermining social cohesion' in the West African country. Burkina Faso's government and army did not immediately react to Monday's report, which alleged that the Burkinabe army 'led and participated in the massacre of more than 130, possibly many more, ethnic Fulani civilians by pro-government militias'. The rights organisation's report is based on interviews with witnesses to the attacks, militia members, journalists and civil society members. Witnesses quoted by HRW said hundreds of government troops and drones, as well as a pro-government militia called the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), were involved in attacks on Solenzo and other towns in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region. The witnesses said most of the victims in Banwa province were women, children and older people. Military helicopters and drones surveilled the area, 'indicating direct command control of the operation', HRW said. A 44-year-old Fulani herder, who lost eight family members, told HRW that thousands of families from more than 20 villages were forced to flee to neighbouring Mali in search of protection. 'However, we couldn't reach Mali without crossing villages [that were] occupied by the VDPs and the army. The VDPs shot at us like animals, while drones were flying over our heads. Many women and children died because they could not run,' he said. Military rulers took power in Burkina Faso in 2022, but they have largely failed to provide the stability promised, as more than 60 percent of the country is estimated to be outside government control. The military has also turned to mass recruitment of civilians who are deployed in poorly trained militia units, leading to worsening tensions between ethnic groups.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Burkina Faso army, militias killed 130 members of ethnic group, HRW says
At least 130 civilians belonging to the Fulani ethnic group were killed by Burkina Faso's army and allied militias near the western town of Solenzo in March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said. The killings took place amid a major weeks-long military campaign by special forces that resulted in 'widespread civilian deaths and massive displacement' of the Fulani pastoralist community in the region, the rights group said in a report on Monday. It added that an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group called the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) then carried out a series of retaliatory attacks, hitting villages that the armed group perceived as having assisted the military. Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW, said in a statement the 'the viral videos of the atrocities by pro-government militias near Solenzo' that cirinitially circulated 'told only part of the story'. 'Further research uncovered that Burkina Faso's military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians, which were followed by deadly reprisals by an Islamist armed group,' Allegrozzi added. 'The government needs to impartially investigate these deaths and prosecute all those responsible.' HRW had reported in March that the government's involvement was likely due to video evidence online. At that time, the government strongly denied the allegations, saying in a statement it 'condemned the propagation, on social media, of images inducing hate and community violence, and fake information aimed at undermining social cohesion' in the West African country. Burkina Faso's government and army did not immediately react to Monday's report, which alleged that the Burkinabe army 'led and participated in the massacre of more than 130, possibly many more, ethnic Fulani civilians by pro-government militias'.The rights organisation's report is based on interviews with witnesses to the attacks, militia members, journalists and civil society members. Witnesses quoted by HRW said hundreds of government troops and drones, as well as a pro-government militia called the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), were involved in attacks on Solenzo and other towns in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region. The witnesses said most of the victims in Banwa province were women, children and older people. Military helicopters and drones surveilled the area, 'indicating direct command control of the operation', HRW said. A 44-year-old Fulani herder, who lost eight family members, told HRW that thousands of families from more than 20 villages were forced to flee to neighbouring Mali in search of protection. 'However, we couldn't reach Mali without crossing villages [that were] occupied by the VDPs and the army. The VDPs shot at us like animals, while drones were flying over our heads. Many women and children died because they could not run,' he said. Military rulers took power in Burkina Faso in 2022, but they have largely failed to provide the stability promised, as more than 60 percent of the country is estimated to be outside government control. The military has also turned to mass recruitment of civilians who are deployed in poorly trained militia units, leading to worsening tensions between ethnic groups.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Burkina Faso forces killed at least 100 civilians in a March attack, Human Rights Watch says
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — At least 100 civilians were killed by Burkina Faso government forces in March near the western town of Solenzo, Human Rights Watch said Monday. According to victim testimony and videos shared on social media gathered by the rights group, the attackers were Burkina Faso special forces and members of a pro-government militia, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland. The victims were all ethnic Fulani, a pastoralist community that is widespread across the region, which the government has long accused of supporting Muslim militants. An earlier report from Human Rights Watch stated that the government's involvement was likely, because of video evidence on social media, although the findings were not definitive. The government issued a sharp denial when first reports surfaced, saying in a statement it 'condemned the propagation, on social media, of images inducing hate and community violence, and fake information aimed at undermining social cohesion' in the country. 'The viral videos of the atrocities by pro-government militias near Solenzo sent shock waves through Africa's Sahel region, but they told only part of the story,' said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. 'Further research uncovered that Burkina Faso's military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians, which were followed by deadly reprisals by an Islamist armed group. The government needs to impartially investigate these deaths and prosecute all those responsible.' Burkina Faso authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the group's new report. The landlocked nation of 23 million people has symbolized the security crisis in the arid Sahel region south of the Sahara in recent years. It has been shaken by violence from extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and the governments fighting them. The military junta, which took power in 2022, failed to provide the stability it promised. According to conservative estimates, more than 60% of the country is now outside of government control, more than 2.1 million people have lost their homes and almost 6.5 million need humanitarian aid to survive. The attack in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region, including Solenzo and other towns, began on Feb. 27 and lasted until April 2, involving hundreds of government troops and drones, according to eyewitnesses quoted in the report. 'The VDPs shot at us like animals, while drones were flying over our heads. Many women and children died because they could not run,' said a Fulani herder, 44, from Solenzo, referring to the pro-government militias. After the attack, hundreds of Fulani residents fled across the border into neighboring Mali, the report said. 'Today, in the whole province, there are no more Fulani — they all fled or were killed or taken hostage,' said a 53-year-old man from Solenzo. 'But the other (ethnic) communities remain.' After the government forces left, the report said that jihadist fighters from a group known as JNIM reentered the towns and carried out reprisal killings against residents, targeting the men whom it considered to be military collaborators. 'All the men had been executed in front of the health center,' said a 60-year-old woman who witnessed JNIM abuses in Tiao village, a town to the northeast of Solenzo on April 5. 'I counted up to 70 bodies.' According to analysts, the junta's strategy of military escalation, including mass recruitment of civilians for poorly trained militia units, has exacerbated tensions between ethnic groups. It it impossible to get an accurate picture of the situation in the country since the military leadership has installed a system of de facto censorship, rights groups said, and those daring to speak up can be openly abducted, imprisoned or forcefully drafted into the army.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Burkina Faso forces killed at least 100 civilians in a March attack, Human Rights Watch says
At least 100 civilians were killed by Burkina Faso government forces in March near the western town of Solenzo, Human Rights Watch said Monday. According to victim testimony and videos shared on social media gathered by the rights group, the attackers were Burkina Faso special forces and members of a pro-government militia, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland. The victims were all ethnic Fulani, a pastoralist community that is widespread across the region, which the government has long accused of supporting Muslim militants. An earlier report from Human Rights Watch stated that the government's involvement was likely, because of video evidence on social media, although the findings were not definitive. The government issued a sharp denial when first reports surfaced, saying in a statement it 'condemned the propagation, on social media, of images inducing hate and community violence, and fake information aimed at undermining social cohesion' in the country. 'The viral videos of the atrocities by pro-government militias near Solenzo sent shock waves through Africa's Sahel region, but they told only part of the story,' said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. 'Further research uncovered that Burkina Faso's military was responsible for these mass killings of Fulani civilians, which were followed by deadly reprisals by an Islamist armed group. The government needs to impartially investigate these deaths and prosecute all those responsible.' Burkina Faso authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the group's new report. The landlocked nation of 23 million people has symbolized the security crisis in the arid Sahel region south of the Sahara in recent years. It has been shaken by violence from extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and the governments fighting them. The military junta, which took power in 2022, failed to provide the stability it promised. According to conservative estimates, more than 60% of the country is now outside of government control, more than 2.1 million people have lost their homes and almost 6.5 million need humanitarian aid to survive. The attack in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region, including Solenzo and other towns, began on Feb. 27 and lasted until April 2, involving hundreds of government troops and drones, according to eyewitnesses quoted in the report. 'The VDPs shot at us like animals, while drones were flying over our heads. Many women and children died because they could not run,' said a Fulani herder, 44, from Solenzo, referring to the pro-government militias. After the attack, hundreds of Fulani residents fled across the border into neighboring Mali, the report said. 'Today, in the whole province, there are no more Fulani — they all fled or were killed or taken hostage,' said a 53-year-old man from Solenzo. 'But the other (ethnic) communities remain.' After the government forces left, the report said that jihadist fighters from a group known as JNIM reentered the towns and carried out reprisal killings against residents, targeting the men whom it considered to be military collaborators. 'All the men had been executed in front of the health center,' said a 60-year-old woman who witnessed JNIM abuses in Tiao village, a town to the northeast of Solenzo on April 5. 'I counted up to 70 bodies.' According to analysts, the junta's strategy of military escalation, including mass recruitment of civilians for poorly trained militia units, has exacerbated tensions between ethnic groups. It it impossible to get an accurate picture of the situation in the country since the military leadership has installed a system of de facto censorship, rights groups said, and those daring to speak up can be openly abducted, imprisoned or forcefully drafted into the army.
