Overview

• A new Human Rights Watch report confirms that Burkina Faso's military and allied militias killed at least 130 Fulani civilians near Solenzo in March 2025, contradicting government denials.
• Video evidence shows the military coordinated attacks using drones and aircraft, indicating direct command control during the killings.
• The al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group carried out retaliatory attacks in Djibo on May 11, killing dozens of soldiers and civilians in coordinated assaults across the town.
• More than 60% of Burkina Faso is now outside government control, with over 2.1 million displaced and nearly 6.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid.
• The military junta's reliance on poorly trained militias and heavy-handed tactics has exacerbated ethnic tensions and failed to curb extremist violence.