Burkina Faso: More than 220 villagers killed

By Linda Bordoni

Military forces have reportedly killed 223 civilians, including babies and many children in two northern villages in Burkina Faso.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the military forces accused of cooperating with fundamentalist militants perpetrated the attacks on the villages of Nondin and Soro on 25 February. At least 56 children are believed to be among the dead.

Survivors of the attacks told HRW staff that a military convoy with over 100 soldiers descended on Nondin village, about 30 minutes after Islamist fighters passed nearby.

The mass killings are believed to be retaliation by the military, which accused the villagers of aiding armed Islamist fighters.

Burkinabè authorities have not commented on the report.

Call for investigation

HRW Executive Director, Tirana Hassan, said "International assistance is critical to support a credible investigation into possible crimes against humanity."

The once peaceful nation has been ravaged by violence that has pitted jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group against state-backed forces. Both sides have targeted civilians caught in the middle, displacing more than 2 million people, of which over half are children.

Most attacks go unpunished and unreported in a nation run by a repressive leadership. The Sahel country is ruled by a military junta, which seized power in a coup in 2022, promising to end the insurgency.

The violence has however continued to escalate, with more than a third of Burkina Faso controlled by jihadist groups.

In February twin attacks on Catholic and Muslim communities in the country left dozens of believers dead.

Pope Francis called for prayers for the victims of those attacks,  called for respect for places of worship and appealed for the promotion of the values of peace in the country.

International and human rights groups including the European Union and UN have accused Burkina Faso of serious human rights violations in its fight against insurgency, including the indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of dozens of civilians.

(Source: AP and other news agencies)