The Burkinabe government has strongly rejected a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) accusing it of being responsible for the deaths of numerous civilians in the context of the fight against terrorism.
In a statement released on April 5, 2026, the authorities described the document as "fake" and denounced the accusations as "unfounded".
Titled "No One Will Escape ," the HRW report cites nearly 1,800 civilian deaths over the past two years. According to the organization, the majority of these victims were caused by Burkinabe security forces and their civilian auxiliaries, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP).
Ouagadougou strongly contests these conclusions. Government spokesperson Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo denounced them as a "fabric of conjecture" and a document "disconnected from the realities on the ground." The authorities also question the methodology of the investigation, arguing that it aims to "demonize Burkinabè patriots."
The government, on the contrary, asserts that its armed forces are conducting their operations "professionally" and with respect for civilian life, in the context of the fight against jihadist groups active in the country.
Without specifying the contentious issues, Ouagadougou accuses the NGO of serving "neo-colonial" interests and participating in an attempt to destabilize Burkina Faso. The authorities even mention the possibility of taking "firm measures" against what they describe as "imperialist organizations."
For its part, Human Rights Watch indicates that it relied on more than 450 testimonies collected in Burkina Faso and several neighboring countries, including Mali, Ghana and Ivory Coast, to document these alleged abuses.
This controversy comes in a particularly tense security context, marked by a resurgence of violence linked to armed groups in the country.
