A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Burkina Faso’s military forces and allied militias of killing over 100 civilians, mostly ethnic Fulani, during a brutal campaign near the western town of Solenzo earlier this year. The attack, which unfolded between late February and early April, marks one of the most chilling episodes in the country’s ongoing conflict with extremist groups.
The report, released Monday, paints a harrowing picture of violence in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. Eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and survivor testimonies suggest that government special forces, alongside members of the pro-government Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), carried out coordinated attacks targeting Fulani communities—often accused, with little proof, of supporting jihadist fighters.
“They shot at us like animals,” a 44-year-old Fulani herder from Solenzo told researchers. “There were drones overhead, and many women and children died because they couldn’t escape.”
Though initial government responses dismissed such reports as “disinformation” intended to inflame ethnic tensions, HRW’s findings add considerable weight to long-standing concerns about the government’s conduct in its war against Islamist insurgents.
The Cycle of Violence Deepens
The killings were reportedly followed by reprisals from jihadist fighters from the JNIM group, who reentered the area after the military pulled out. In the village of Tiao, northeast of Solenzo, a 60-year-old woman described the horror: “All the men had been executed in front of the health center. I counted up to 70 bodies.”
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One 53-year-old Solenzo resident told HRW that “in the whole province, there are no more Fulani. They all fled, were killed, or taken.”
The violence has forced hundreds of Fulani families to flee across the border into Mali, raising fears of wider regional instability. Analysts say the military junta’s strategy—relying heavily on hastily assembled militia units like the VDP—has only worsened ethnic divisions and escalated the humanitarian crisis.
A Country Gripped by Silence and Fear
Since seizing power in 2022, Burkina Faso’s military leaders promised a crackdown on insurgents and a return to security. But nearly three years on, more than 60% of the country remains beyond government control. Over 2.1 million people have been displaced, and nearly 6.5 million now depend on humanitarian assistance.
Human rights organizations warn that independent investigations into events like the Solenzo massacre are nearly impossible. A climate of fear prevails, with journalists and local activists risking abduction, imprisonment, or forced conscription for speaking out.
“Burkina Faso is slipping deeper into lawlessness,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at HRW. “There can be no genuine stability or security unless the government investigates these killings impartially and holds all perpetrators accountable.”
As of publication, the Burkinabè government has yet to respond to HRW’s latest findings.
