The tragic events that unfolded in the villages of Soro and Nondin in Burkina Faso in February 2023 shocked the world. Human Rights Watch reports have exposed the appalling toll of more than 220 civilians, including 56 children, who lost their lives in a single day in what are believed to be atrocities committed by the country’s military forces.
On February 25, the village of Soro witnessed the devastating loss of 179 lives, with an additional 44 perishing in the nearby village of Nondin. These mass killings have been described by Human Rights Watch as some of the most abhorrent abuses carried out by the army in almost a decade.
Despite the spotlight cast on these horrific events, authorities in Burkina Faso have maintained a troubling silence on the matter. However, the public prosecutor Aly Benjamin Coulibaly made a public plea for witnesses to come forward to help identify those accountable for the massacre, initially estimating the death toll at 170.
Eyewitness testimonies have provided harrowing details of the army’s attack. Survivors recounted how a convoy of more than 100 soldiers arrived at the village of Nondin shortly after Islamist militants had passed through the area. The soldiers reportedly rounded up villagers, forced them into groups, and callously opened fire, sparing no one, not even those seeking refuge.
The brutality extended to the neighboring village of Soro, located just 5 kilometers away, where the army replicated its murderous actions by indiscriminately shooting at villagers and those attempting to escape.
The military authorities justified these heinous acts as a response to villagers allegedly aiding Islamist fighters, following an insurgent attack on a military camp in the northern Yatenga province.
Tirana Hassan, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, denounced the massacres, labeling them as the latest in a series of civilian atrocities committed by the Burkinabè military in the context of their counterinsurgency operations.
Burkina Faso, governed by a military junta since a coup in 2022, had pledged to quash the insurgency. Yet, violence continues to plague the nation, with jihadist groups now controlling more than a third of the country.
International bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations, have accused Burkina Faso of grave human rights violations in its fight against the insurgency, citing indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of civilians among the atrocities committed.
This dark episode in Burkina Faso’s history underscores the urgent need for decisive action to put an end to the bloodshed and impunity that have plagued the West African nation. The international community must rally behind efforts to safeguard civilians and uphold justice and human rights in the region. Only through unwavering commitment and global solidarity can we hope to avert such tragedies in the future.
Please find relevant external articles for more information:
– Africanews – Burkina Faso soldiers massacred over 200 civilians in a day, Human Rights Watch says