Burkina Faso Militias Accused of Massacre in Solenzo, Rights Group Calls for Justice

Videos and testimonies implicate government-allied militias in the killing of at least 58 civilians, mostly Fulani, during counterinsurgency operations.

• Human Rights Watch reviewed videos showing pro-government militias executing civilians in Solenzo on March 10-11, with at least 58 victims, including women and children.
• The victims, primarily ethnic Fulani, were targeted in apparent retaliation for alleged ties to Islamist insurgents, a claim long used to justify abuses against the group.
• Witnesses and video evidence show victims with bound hands and feet, and perpetrators wearing identifiable militia uniforms linked to local government-allied groups.
• The Burkinabè government has not commented on the massacre, while the Prime Minister dismissed the videos as manipulative and announced expanded military recruitment efforts.
• Rights groups accuse the junta-led government of enabling widespread abuses by militias and security forces, exacerbating ethnic tensions and ongoing humanitarian crises in the region.

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