According to Human Rights Watch, soldiers in Burkina Faso killed 223 people, including children, in two villages. The rights group characterized this as among the worst crimes committed by the military in nearly a decade.

According to a report from the international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW), at least 223 civilians, including 56 children, were executed by Burkina Faso soldiers in two villages on February 25, 2024.

The HRW report gathered testimonies from 23 individuals, 14 of whom witnessed the killings and confirmed the authenticity of videos and photos provided by survivors showing the aftermath of the atrocities.

These massacres are described as the most severe military abuses in Burkina Faso in nearly a decade and appear to be part of a broader campaign targeting civilians suspected of collaborating with Islamist militants, as stated by HRW.

Tirana Hassan, the executive director of HRW, criticized the Burkinabe authorities for their failure to prevent and investigate the incidents. She stressed the lack of accountability from local authorities, emphasizing the importance of international assistance to ensure a credible investigation into potential crimes against humanity.

HRW's report revealed that Burkina Faso's military killed 44 people, including 20 children, in the village of Nondin, and 179 people, including 36 children, in the nearby village of Soro. The report indicated that individuals in these villages were targeted on suspicion of collaborating with militants.

These horrific events are not isolated occurrences. The Associated Press news agency reported a similar army massacre in another village on November 5, where at least 70 people, including infants, were killed. They were accused by the army of collaborating with militants, based on verified accounts.

Witnesses and survivors of the attack on February 25 informed HRW that the killings seemed to be a retaliation for an Islamist assault on a military base near Ouahigouya, located just 25 kilometers (15 miles) away.

A representative of the Burkina Faso government declined to comment on the attack on the villages on February 25. The government has previously refuted claims of civilian killings, asserting that jihadist fighters frequently disguise themselves as soldiers.

The nation experienced two coups in 2022. The surge in mass executions in Burkina Faso began amid jihadist violence associated with al-Qaida and the "Islamic State" group nearly a decade ago, originating from neighboring Mali in 2015. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a United States-based nonprofit group, more than 20,000 people have been killed since then.

These mass killings are perceived as part of the army's severe response to insurgent attacks, often labeled as counterterrorism operations.