Burkina Faso put civilians at 'unnecessary risk' during militant attack, rights group says

Human Rights Watch says successful a caller study that Burkina Faso’s authorities unnecessarily exposed civilians to threat during a militant onslaught earlier this year

DAKAR, Senegal -- Burkina Faso's authorities unnecessarily exposed civilians to threat during a militant onslaught earlier this year, Human Rights Watch said successful a study released Tuesday.

In August, at slightest 100 villagers were killed by fighters from a militant group linked to al-Qaida successful cardinal Burkina Faso, successful 1 of nan deadliest attacks this twelvemonth successful nan conflict-battered West African nation.

Villagers successful nan Barsalogho commune, which is 80 kilometers (50 miles) from nan superior Ouagadougou, were forcibly helping information forces excavation up trenches to protect information outposts and villages erstwhile fighters pinch nan Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group invaded nan area and opened occurrence connected them, according to nan report.

The JNIM group, which claimed work for nan attack, said that each of nan villagers targeted were members of militias affiliated pinch Burkina Faso successful its consequence to nan report.

Human Rights Watch said it confirmed done video study and witnesser accounts that astatine slightest 133 group were killed, including dozens of children, and astatine slightest 200 much were injured.

“The massacre successful Barsalogho is nan latest illustration of atrocities by Islamist equipped groups against civilians whom nan authorities has put astatine unnecessary risk,” Ilaria Allegrozzi, elder Sahel interrogator astatine Human Rights Watch, said successful nan report.

About half of Burkina Faso is extracurricular of authorities power arsenic nan state has been ravaged by increasing militant attacks, encircling nan capital. The militants linked to al-Qaida and nan Islamic State group person killed thousands and displaced much than 2 cardinal people.

The unit contributed to 2 coups successful 2022. Still, nan subject junta that promised to extremity nan attacks has struggled to do so, moreover aft seeking caller information partnerships pinch Russia and different junta-led, conflict-hit countries successful Africa’s Sahel region.

The government's reliance connected equipped civilian auxiliaries, known arsenic Volunteers for nan Defense of nan Homeland, aliases VDP, to conflict militants is putting civilians successful awesome danger, Alegrozzi told The Associated Press, arsenic galore go targets of jihadis who impeach them of being supporters aliases moreover members of nan VDP.

Witnesses quoted successful nan study said Burkina Faso's subject forced antheral residents to excavation a caller trench conception adjacent nan colony without providing costs but that galore refused fearing they would beryllium exposed to attacks. But soldiers coerced them to do nan activity by threatening and beating them.

The country's justness minister, Edasso Rodrigue Bayala, successful his consequence to Human Rights Watch, said that forced labour was forbidden by rule successful Burkina Faso and that “testimonies according to which nan subject forced nan populations to excavation nan trench are not proven.”