Burkina Faso army, militias killed 130 members of ethnic group, HRW says

Army craft were reportedly hovering supra arsenic the killings took place, showing bid power of the operation.

At slightest 130 civilians belonging to the Fulani taste radical were killed by Burkina Faso’s service and allied militias adjacent the occidental municipality of Solenzo successful March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

The killings took spot amid a large weeks-long subject run by peculiar forces that resulted successful “widespread civilian deaths and monolithic displacement” of the Fulani pastoralist assemblage successful the region, the rights radical said successful a study connected Monday.

It added that an Al-Qaeda-affiliated radical called the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) past carried retired a bid of retaliatory attacks, hitting villages that the equipped radical perceived arsenic having assisted the military.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, elder Sahel researcher astatine HRW, said successful a connection the “the viral videos of the atrocities by pro-government militias adjacent Solenzo” that cirinitially circulated “told lone portion of the story”.

“Further probe uncovered that Burkina Faso’s subject was liable for these wide killings of Fulani civilians, which were followed by deadly reprisals by an Islamist equipped group,” Allegrozzi added.

“The authorities needs to impartially analyse these deaths and prosecute each those responsible.”

‘Many women and children died’

HRW had reported successful March that the government’s engagement was apt owed to video grounds online.

At that time, the authorities powerfully denied the allegations, saying successful a connection it “condemned the propagation, connected societal media, of images inducing hatred and assemblage violence, and fake accusation aimed astatine undermining societal cohesion” successful the West African country.

Burkina Faso’s authorities and service did not instantly respond to Monday’s report, which alleged that the Burkinabe service “led and participated successful the massacre of much than 130, perchance galore more, taste Fulani civilians by pro-government militias”.

The rights organisation’s study is based connected interviews with witnesses to the attacks, militia members, journalists and civilian nine members.

Witnesses quoted by HRW said hundreds of authorities troops and drones, arsenic good arsenic a pro-government militia called the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), were progressive successful attacks connected Solenzo and different towns successful the occidental Boucle du Mouhoun region.

The witnesses said astir of the victims successful Banwa state were women, children and older people.

Military helicopters and drones surveilled the area, “indicating nonstop bid power of the operation”, HRW said.

A 44-year-old Fulani herder, who mislaid 8 household members, told HRW that thousands of families from much than 20 villages were forced to fly to neighbouring Mali successful hunt of protection.

“However, we couldn’t scope Mali without crossing villages [that were] occupied by the VDPs and the army. The VDPs changeable astatine america similar animals, portion drones were flying implicit our heads. Many women and children died due to the fact that they could not run,” helium said.

Military rulers took powerfulness successful Burkina Faso successful 2022, but they person mostly failed to supply the stableness promised, arsenic much than 60 percent of the state is estimated to beryllium extracurricular authorities control.

The subject has besides turned to wide recruitment of civilians who are deployed successful poorly trained militia units, starring to worsening tensions betwixt taste groups.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies