Rights Group Reports New Militant Atrocities in Burkina Faso

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged all parties involved in the conflict in Burkina Faso to respect international law, including the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit summary executions, attacks on civilians, and sexual violence. The appeal follows reports that militants have killed at least 38 civilians, abducted nine women, and destroyed property in three separate incidents in northeastern Burkina Faso since late January 2026.

In a statement, the rights group said the attacks appear to target communities perceived to support or have ties with militias assisting the military in counterinsurgency operations.

HRW's senior Sahel researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, said the brutality of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM) against civilians remains unrelenting. "The current wave of abuses, targeting communities with perceived ties to militias, reflects a blatant contempt for the distinction between combatants and civilians," Allegrozzi said.

The abducted women, aged 29 to 51, were kidnapped while venturing outside the village of Sollé to fetch firewood. The village has been under a JNIM siege for four years, making combustible materials increasingly scarce for the local population.