Escalating Jihadist Retaliation Claims Over 120 Lives in Burkina Faso

Escalating Jihadist Retaliation Claims Over 120 Lives in Burkina Faso

Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed on Wednesday that jihadist groups in Burkina Faso have intensified attacks on civilians, particularly targeting those accused of collaborating with government forces or refusing to join their ranks.

The conflict, fueled by insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, has plagued the West African nation for nearly a decade, spilling over from neighbouring Mali.

Under military leader Ibrahim Traore, Burkina Faso has recruited thousands of civilian volunteers, known as VDPs, to assist in the fight. However, this move has provoked increasingly violent reprisals from jihadist factions, leading to tragic consequences for local communities.

HRW documented seven attacks between February and June, resulting in the deaths of at least 128 civilians.

These assaults, including a massacre in a Catholic church and strikes on displaced persons camps, were attributed to al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) and ISIS-linked Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

Witnesses claimed some attacks were motivated by civilians’ involvement with government forces.

“We are between a rock and a hard place,” a 56-year-old villager lamented, describing the dire situation faced by many.

HRW’s report also highlighted that some villagers were killed after being forced by authorities to return to areas previously overtaken by jihadists.

In response, Burkina Faso’s justice minister dismissed HRW’s claims of slow prosecutions, asserting that human rights violations by insurgents are being investigated.

The junta, which came to power following a coup in 2022, faces growing criticism for its handling of the crisis, with analysts noting a further deterioration in security under Traore’s leadership.

Despite Traore’s promises to restore stability, the conflict shows no signs of abating, with HRW citing the recent massacre in Barsalogho, where hundreds were killed, as one of the deadliest incidents in the country’s history.