OUAGADOUGOU — The government of Burkina Faso has issued a stern rejection of a comprehensive investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that claims more than 1,837 civilians were killed in 57 separate incidents between January 2023 and August 2025. The junta, which seized power in a September 2022 coup, characterized the findings as "false" and "unfounded claims" designed solely to demonize the country’s armed forces.

The HRW report provides a grim breakdown of the violence, attributing 1,255 of the documented deaths to the military and its allied civilian militia, the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP). One of the most devastating incidents cited occurred in December 2023 in the northern town of Djibo, where more than 400 civilians were reportedly killed by government-aligned forces. Survivors described scenes of "butchery," with some recounting how militia members checked for signs of life among the fallen to ensure no one survived the assault.

On the other side of the conflict, the al-Qaeda-linked group JNIM was blamed for the remaining deaths, including an August 2024 attack that left at least 133 people dead in less than two hours. Civilians described a terrifying reality of being caught between a state that views dissent as "indiscipline" and jihadists who punish any perceived cooperation with the government.

Human Rights Watch has named President Ibrahim Traoré and six senior military commanders as potentially liable under command responsibility for these grave abuses. The organization is now urging the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into the alleged war crimes. Despite these international pressures and the ongoing violence, Traoré has maintained a significant following in the region by pivoting away from Western military cooperation in favor of Russian assistance.