Burkina Faso’s leader presents a rosy picture while human rights report details atrocities

At 36, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, adorned with newly acquired captain’s insignia, presides over a presidential palace he did not secure through democratic elections, having abolished such processes. This arrangement offers a distinct advantage: when democracy is discarded, the need to mislead voters vanishes. Instead, one can directly address journalists with carefully curated narratives.

This is precisely what transpired within the Koulouba palace, where Traoré held court for two hours with six journalists. During this extensive monologue, the young captain spun an optimistic tale: the military is reclaiming lost territories, industrial sectors are flourishing, gold reserves are expanding, highway networks are growing, and the Burkinabè populace enjoys unprecedented freedom. The scene, he suggested, needed only a stirring musical score and a national flag proudly unfurling in the breeze.

A damning report shatters the illusion

The stark reality, however, presented a significant challenge to Traoré’s celebratory account. Concurrently, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a comprehensive 351-page document. Titled “No One Will Escape,” this report compiled extensive testimonies, satellite imagery, and lists of the deceased. Its grim findings revealed that 1,837 civilians had been killed over a two-and-a-half-year period. The perpetrators included the national army, VDP militias, and JNIM jihadists. While violence was widespread, the report underscored that state-affiliated actors were responsible for systematic killings, often with drone surveillance and explicit orders from higher command.

The HRW investigation detailed allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the ethnic targeting of the Fulani community. Specific atrocities cited included the summary executions of 223 civilians, among them 56 children, in Nondin in February 2024. Hundreds more perished in Baraboulé in December 2023, and approximately 130 Fulani individuals were massacred near Solenzo in March 2025. The evidence presented included mass graves, survivor accounts, and corroborating satellite data. Predictably, such damning evidence was met with dismissals of a “Western conspiracy.”

‘Reclaimed’ towns, built on tragedy

Ironically, Traoré proudly referenced the same towns mentioned in the HRW report, such as Baraboulé and Pétégoli, proclaiming them “recaptured!” Yet, HRW’s documentation painted a different picture, detailing “Operation Tchéfari 2” – poetically named “The Warriors’ Honey” in Fulfulde, even for massacres. This operation allegedly involved the army killing hundreds of civilians across 16 villages. While state television lauded it as a “success,” survivors recount it as a brutal slaughter. The perception, it seems, hinges entirely on one’s vantage point.

Traoré attempted to explain away the killings by attributing them to terrorists disguised in military uniforms, who then filmed their own atrocities. This narrative suggests an impressive level of sophistication for individuals Traoré claims merely “read the Quran in the bush,” implying they possess the capability to coordinate multiple battalions, deploy military drones, and execute complex operations before disappearing.

The silence surrounding the Fulani community

Throughout his two-hour interview, the word “Fulani” was conspicuously absent. This deliberate omission is profoundly disturbing, akin to a historical review of World War II that neglects to mention the Jewish people – technically possible, yet morally reprehensible. HRW’s report meticulously documented the systematic persecution of the Fulani community, who constitute 8% of Burkina Faso’s population. They are collectively accused of terrorism, their villages subjected to massacres, and hundreds of thousands forcibly displaced. The report even quoted Traoré himself from February 2023, addressing Fulani leaders: “There will be many dead. And it will be more complicated for your community.” His presidential guard chief reportedly delivered an even more chilling message: “We will kill them all.” Despite this, the official stance maintains there is no “Fulani problem” in Burkina Faso, merely a “problem of Fulani.”

Freedom of expression: a bitter irony

Traoré asserted that Burkinabè citizens enjoy “much more freedom” than their European counterparts. The reality, however, suggests a different kind of freedom: the freedom to vanish. Journalists have been abducted and forcibly conscripted into militias. Independent media outlets have been shut down, human rights websites blocked, and the electoral commission abolished. The death penalty has also been reinstated.

Adding to this oppressive environment, networks of pro-junta trolls, known as the “BIR-C” (Rapid Communication Intervention Battalions), actively flood social media with propaganda and deepfakes, glorifying the “little captain.” The scale and crude effectiveness of this state-sponsored disinformation make even comparisons to regimes like Kim Jong-un’s seem almost artisanal.

Justice, selectively applied

Human Rights Watch has urged an investigation into Traoré for command responsibility, naming six generals. Yet, none have faced trial. The junta’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court is telling; a move often made by those with something to conceal, rather than those with nothing to hide. Meanwhile, Traoré publicly shames corrupt traffic officers caught pocketing 500 CFA francs, elevating such minor infractions to national scandals. In contrast, the massacre of hundreds of civilians by the army is dismissed as mere “terrorist perfidy.” The regime’s priorities are starkly evident.

The perennial scapegoat: the West

Any criticism is swiftly deflected and attributed to Western interference. A European Parliament resolution? Interference. The French army chief? Advised to “mind his own business.” NGOs? Manipulators. Media? Liars. The internet? Fake. Territorial maps? Fake. A 351-page report based on 450 interviews? Also fake. According to Traoré, everything is fabricated except his own narrative.

While acknowledging the legitimate historical grievances of postcolonial exploitation by France, using this historical fact as an impenetrable shield to justify the massacre of one’s own populace echoes the tactics of figures like Mugabe, but at an accelerated pace. Anti-imperialism, it must be stressed, does not confer a license to kill.

In a recent development, Traoré encouraged Burkinabè citizens to “have children” because “the land is rich.” A grim irony, given that the land is indeed becoming rich with the bodies of many buried within it.