Burkina Faso's military forces have systematically targeted Fulani civilians in what amounts to ethnic cleansing, according to a comprehensive Human Rights Watch investigation released Thursday. The report documents 1,837 civilian deaths between January 2023 and August 2025, with government forces and allied militias responsible for more than 1,200 of those killings.
The 250-page report, titled "None Can Run Away," presents findings from interviews with over 450 people across five West African countries and verification of 57 incidents using satellite imagery and audiovisual evidence. HRW researchers found that Burkina Faso's military and the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDPs) — government-backed militias — systematically attacked Fulani communities under the pretext of counter-terrorism operations.
In one of the deadliest documented incidents, military forces and allied militias killed more than 400 civilians across 16 villages near the northern town of Djibo in December 2023. The attacks followed a pattern of targeting Fulani communities based on alleged connections to jihadist groups.
Quand on a compris que la patrouille arrivait, on a tous essayé de fuir, mais ils nous ont rattrapés à la sortie de Solenzo et du coup, l'armée et les VDP ont tiré sur tout le monde. Il y a eu plus de 100 personnes tuées, des hommes, des femmes et des enfants. Moi, j'ai perdu 7 membres de ma famille, dont mon grand frère, mon père de 80 ans, ma mère et deux cousins.
Survivor of Solenzo attack — RFI
The investigation also documented war crimes by the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), which controls large swathes of Burkina Faso territory. All parties to the conflict were found responsible for willful killing, attacks on civilians, pillaging, and forced displacement.