CADHP urges Burkina Faso to address human rights violations amid conflict

Critical human rights review: Burkina Faso faces scrutiny over conflict-related abuses

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (CADHP) is set to examine Burkina Faso’s human rights record on October 23, 2024, amid escalating concerns over civilian protection, civic space restrictions, and accountability for grave violations. Human rights advocates urge the Burkina Faso government to take urgent action to address these pressing issues.

A call for accountability in conflict zones

The CADHP’s review, part of the African Union’s state reporting procedure, evaluates compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. However, the Burkina Faso government’s latest report, covering 2015–2021 and submitted in May 2023, fails to adequately address key concerns, including:

• Widespread abuses by state security forces during counterinsurgency operations;
• Systematic violations by Islamist armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS;
• Restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms under emergency laws;
• Near-total impunity for perpetrators of crimes against civilians.

Burkina Faso’s security crisis and civilian toll

Since 2016, Burkina Faso has grappled with an insurgency led by the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS). The conflict, exacerbated by two military coups in 2022, has displaced over 2 million people and left communities under siege.

While the government’s report highlights efforts to combat terrorism—such as establishing specialized anti-terrorism units and training security forces in international humanitarian law—Human Rights Watch has documented persistent abuses. These include mass killings, forced disappearances, and crimes against humanity committed by state forces. Islamist groups have also perpetrated widespread atrocities, including sexual violence and pillaging.

Civic space under threat: repression of dissent

The report acknowledges measures to protect human rights defenders, such as a 2017 law, but the reality contrasts sharply. Since the 2022 junta assumed power, authorities have intensified repression against activists, opposition figures, journalists, and critics. Illegal conscription has been used to silence dissent, alongside enforced disappearances and judicial harassment. High-profile cases, such as the abduction of human rights defender Daouda Diallo and the forced disappearance of three journalists, underscore the climate of fear.

International calls for action

The CADHP has previously expressed alarm over mass killings in villages like Karma and Zaongo, demanding investigations and civilian protection. However, the government’s lack of progress in prosecuting perpetrators—both state and non-state—remains a critical gap. The CADHP is urged to:

• Press for independent investigations into alleged abuses by security forces;
• Recommend concrete measures to safeguard civic space for activists, journalists, and opposition groups;
• Consider an official visit to Burkina Faso to assess the situation firsthand and publish a comprehensive report.

“The CADHP’s review offers a pivotal moment to hold Burkina Faso accountable for its human rights obligations,” said Allan Ngari, Africa Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch. “Failure to address these abuses risks normalizing impunity and further destabilizing the country.”