Military forces in Burkina Faso have been accused of massacring 223 civilians - including babies - in attacks on two villages. The mass killings allegedly took place in the north of the conflict-torn West African nation, according to Human Rights Watch.

Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso's military forces have been accused by Human Rights Watch of killing 223 civilians, including babies, in assaults conducted on two villages located in the northern part of the West African nation. These allegations point to a severe incident of violence in a region already marked by conflict.

The reported mass killings are said to have occurred in close proximity to the Mali border. This tragic event came after an assault on military barracks situated just 25 kilometers from the targeted villages. Survivors of the attack reportedly feigned death to escape the violence, with eyewitness accounts providing the basis for the Human Rights Watch report on this incident.

In response to these allegations, the government of Burkina Faso has termed the claims made by Human Rights Watch as baseless, asserting that there is an ongoing government-led investigation into the reported incidents. The statement from the government emphasizes its commitment to investigating human rights violations but notes the absence of convictions or sentencing in similar previous inquiries since the ascent of Ibrahim Traoré to power through a coup.

The report has prompted a significant reaction, not only regarding the allegations of violence but also concerning the freedom of speech and press within Burkina Faso. Following the publication of the Human Rights Watch report, it has been observed that local and international media outlets reporting on these incidents have faced censorship, raising concerns about the suppression of dissent and the monopolization of narrative by the government.

Reporters Without Borders has expressed concerns over what appears to be an orchestrated effort to silence critics and maintain a singular governmental narrative in the public discourse. This situation paints a troubling picture of the state of freedom of expression in Burkina Faso, amid serious allegations of human rights abuses by its security forces.



Burkina Faso's military forces accused of 'massacring 223 civilians

That's right. So, I mean, the statement came out with strong words. They said, the government said that the allegations made by Human Rights Watch were baseless. And if they had any evidence, then they should put it forward because there is an investigation by the government over these alleged killings. In fact, the statement goes further, saying that in any instances of human rights violation, well, the government goes out and opens investigations. But the issue here is, do those investigations end with conviction, sentencing, or prison term? Since Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a coup two years ago, none of these investigations have come to some sort of conviction. And that's the level of impunity that Human Rights Watch is trying to point out with this latest report that shows that the security forces of Burkina Faso went out to kill those that they are meant to protect. The allegations date from February 25th on two villages in the border with Mali where survivors pretended to be dead while security forces were killing villagers. And that's according to eyewitnesses that spoke to Human Rights Watch. Now, this follows an attack that took place on military barracks, just 25 kilometers to those villages. But there's a sense that since that report by Human Rights Watch was made public, that there's an effort by the government to stifle any voices of dissent. Because all those that have reported on this Human Rights Watch report have been taken off air. I'm alluding to local newspapers, radios, television channels, but also international broadcasters that reported on this. And we spoke to reporters without border, who their spokesmen say, it seems that in Burkina Faso there's only one voice that's allowed to talk, and that's the voice of the government. And that's certainly what we're seeing right now. So... Nicholas Hagg, there for us in Dhaka, Senegal. Thank you.

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