A Human Rights Watch (HRW) study found that government forces in Burkina Faso are responsible for more than twice as many civilian deaths as militant jihadist groups over a two-year period. The 316-page report said these atrocities, including the government’s ethnic cleansing of Fulani civilians, amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity for which senior leaders on all sides may be liable.
Jihadist violence has gripped the Sahel since 2021, making Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger insurgency hotspots. HRW reported a similar pattern in Mali, where government forces also killed more civilians. A military junta seized power in Burkina Faso in 2022 but has failed to stabilize the country; more than 60% of the country is currently outside government control. Over 2.1 million people have been displaced and almost 6.5 million need humanitarian aid.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW’s senior Sahel researcher, said Burkina Faso’s security forces and allied militias “appear to be more brutal and violent” than militant groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). The government has denied extrajudicial killings, saying its forces have only killed “terrorists.” HRW warned that government violence could bolster militant recruitment and complicate relations with Western countries; Burkina Faso expelled French troops and has sought closer ties with Russia since the coup.
HRW documented widespread abuses by all parties, based on 450 interviews and verified social media and satellite imagery. Between January 2023 and August 2025, at least 1,837 civilians were killed in some 57 incidents of violence; 33 of those incidents were committed by government forces and their allies. In total, around 1,255 civilian deaths were attributed to official forces.
Allegrozzi noted that because JNIM controls large areas, security forces are sometimes tasked with escorting humanitarian or supply convoys in rural zones, and in many cases these forces kill civilians they encounter. The report highlights systematic targeting of the Fulani community—a semi-nomadic pastoralist group spread across the Sahel. Fulani in Burkina Faso number about 1.8 million, roughly 8.5% of the population. Farmer-herder and communal conflicts have long flared across the region.
HRW concluded it appears to be de facto government policy to target Fulani communities, with routine reprisal attacks on villages accused of collaborating with JNIM. “The highest levels of government appear supportive of military action against Fulani people based on these attitudes,” the report said. HRW also noted a system of censorship that hinders accurate reporting on the situation; speaking out against government forces can lead to abduction, imprisonment or forced conscription.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah