The Human Rights Watch disclosed that on February 25, 2024, soldiers from the Burkina Faso military perpetrated the summary execution of at least 223 civilians, including 56 children, in the villages of Nondin and Soro, situated in the Thiou district of the northern Yatenga province. These horrific acts, among the gravest abuses committed by the army since 2015, seem to be part of a broader military campaign targeting civilians suspected of collaborating with Islamist armed groups.
Tirana Hassan, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, condemned the massacres as the latest in a series of civilian killings by the Burkinabè military in their counterinsurgency endeavors. She emphasized the urgent need for international intervention to facilitate a credible investigation into potential crimes against humanity.
HRW conducted interviews from February 28 to March 31, including with eyewitnesses, local activists, and members of international organizations, corroborating evidence through survivor testimonies, videos, and photographs.
The military’s actions came in the aftermath of reported attacks by Islamist armed groups on military and civilian targets across the country on February 24 and 25. While the Defense Minister denounced these assaults, there was no mention of the mass killings of civilians in Nondin and Soro.
Subsequent statements from the high court prosecutor and investigative efforts failed to locate the numerous bodies reportedly left behind by the military.
Eyewitnesses recounted how soldiers indiscriminately rounded up villagers, accusing them of collusion with jihadists before executing them. Survivors buried the victims in mass graves, with some bodies found days later in the surrounding bush.
The harrowing events in Nondin and Soro shed light on the dire need for accountability and justice in Burkina Faso’s ongoing conflict, underscoring the imperative of international support to address such egregious human rights violations.
