For years, the landlocked West African nation of Burkina Faso has stood at the epicenter of the Sahel region’s escalating security crisis, a conflict that has shattered communities and pushed millions into displacement. A new, sweeping 316-page investigation from Human Rights Watch (HRW) has uncovered damning new findings: between January 2023 and August 2025, Burkina Faso’s government forces killed more than twice as many civilians as extremist jihadist groups operating in the country, with both sides responsible for systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Burkina Faso forces killed twice as many civilians as jihadists, rights group says
