Burkina Faso: Govt. denies report alleging more than 1,800 killed since junta took power

Burkina Faso has denied a report that more than 1800 civilians have been killed in acts constituting ‘crimes against humanity’ since Ibrahim Traoré forcibly took power three years ago.

Human Rights Watch, which released the report, blamed the majority of the killings on the military and allied militias, and the remainder on Islamist militants.

It is based on analysis of open source information including videos and satellite imagery, as well as discussions with witnesses and survivors.

One of the deadliest incidents described in the report dates back to December 2023, when the military and allied militias are said to have killed more than 400 civilians in the town of Djibo.

Survivors referred to the killings as brutal, and say they have suffered psychological trauma as a result.

The government denounced the organisation’s findings as false, and described them as ‘conjecture and serious unfounded claims’. It’s not the first time it has faced such accusations.

Burkina Faso is one of several west African nations that has seen coups in recent years. Among the others are Guinea and Gabon.