HRW Report Documents 1,837 Civilian Killings in Burkina Faso Over Two Years

Human Rights Watch released 'None Can Run Away,' a comprehensive report documenting 1,837 verified civilian killings in Burkina Faso between January 2023 and August 2025. More than 1,200 were attributed to Burkinabè security forces (FAB military) and allied VDP militias; the remainder to JNIM and IS-Sahel. The report is based on over 450 interviews and satellite imagery analysis across 57 verified incidents. HRW found all parties committed war crimes including willful killing, attacks on civilians, pillage, and forced displacement. One documented JNIM incident involved the killing of at least 100 civilian men in four Sourou Province villages (Gonon, Lanfièra, Mara, and Tiao) accused of supporting VDP militias. The Traoré junta condemned the report as politically motivated disinformation, consistent with its blanket dismissal of prior HRW and Amnesty International reporting on the Nondin/Soro massacre. The report coincides with renewed international concern that Burkina Faso's cycle of security force atrocities and jihadist reprisal is structurally accelerating JNIM and IS-Sahel recruitment among aggrieved communities.