Upcoming review of Burkina Faso spurs international human rights concerns

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to press Burkina Faso on critical human rights issues during the commission’s review of the country on October 23. The rights group called for the protection of civilians amid the country’s ongoing armed conflict, the removal of restrictions on journalists, dissidents, and political opposition, and accountability for human rights violations. HRW Africa Advocacy Director Allan Ngari stated: “The commission should press the authorities to prioritize the protection of civilians during military operations and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.

” According to HRW, Burkina Faso’s 2023 report on measures to uphold rights enshrined in the does not address current human rights concerns. The report, which the charter requires, covers events and measures between 2015 and 2021. HRW stated: International organizations and rights groups have expressed deep concern over the state of human rights in Burkina Faso during and after the 2015-2021 reporting period.



Last year, Amnesty International that armed groups are committing war crimes and human rights abuses in the country. The alleged abuses included civilian killings, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the abduction of women and girls. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also in May over the increased killings of civilians by armed groups and state authorities.

Last month, HRW that Islamist groups within the country have amplified their attacks on civilians amid the groups’ conflict with the Burkinabè government. The rights group found that over 6,000 people died as a result of the conflict during the first eight months of 2024. HRW has documented various “grave abuses” by both and since 2016.

The rights group has denounced the restriction of civil and political rights by the government, including the use of . Critics of the government have further reported a on activists, opposition party members, , and . In 2016, Islamist organizations in Mali began their control into Burkina Faso.

The government has since been engaged in armed conflicts with the groups, with a rise in violent extremism plaguing the country. Violence again surged when the military through a coup in October 2022, resulting in Ibrahim Traoré becoming the country’s interim president. Traoré then junta rule in May 2024, lengthening the country’s transition period to five years despite international concerns over the government’s human rights abuses.

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