Burkina Faso - March 2025

Between 10 and 11 March, Burkina Faso’s security forces and allied militias allegedly killed dozens of civilians, mostly ethnic Fulani, during operations around the city of Solenzo. Some reports suggest the toll may be in the hundreds. According to multiple sources, the attacks targeted displaced Fulani in apparent retaliation for jihadist assaults days earlier. Witnesses reported executions, mostly targeting women, children and the elderly. Authorities have long accused the Fulani of harbouring jihadists, who recruit among them by exploiting grievances over state neglect and resources. The government denied responsibility, claiming jihadists used civilians as human shields. Civil society groups have called for an independent investigation. In the wake of online threats targeting the Fulani, the Ouagadougou prosecutor launched a probe on 20 March into calls to exterminate an unnamed ethnic group. The omission of the Fulani name suggests an effort to downplay the ethnic dimension of the threats.

Sources: Ministère de la Communication, de la Culture, des Arts et du Tourisme – Burkina Faso, Human Rights Watch, Barron’s, International Crisis Group, Jeune Afrique (1), Jeune Afrique (2)