Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the Burkina Faso military of carrying out actions that resulted in the killing and forced displacement of Fulani civilians during a counter-terrorism operation conducted between March 14 and April 22, 2025. The operation, which targeted the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM), reportedly took place in the Banwa and Sourou provinces. According to HRW’s report, Fulani women, children, and the elderly were among those specifically targeted, with eyewitnesses asserting that most Fulani civilians were displaced from Banwa province as a result.
International humanitarian law obligates armed forces to distinguish between combatants and civilians and prohibits the targeting of non-combatants, including women, children, and elderly individuals. Forced displacement is also restricted under international law unless deemed necessary for civilian safety. However, HRW’s findings suggest that the attacks on Fulani civilians lacked legitimate military justification and that the displacement of these populations stemmed from the military’s own actions rather than any external threat. These allegations, if substantiated, constitute violations of international legal principles, as outlined by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Details on these legal restrictions can be found here.
The government of Burkina Faso has yet to issue a statement addressing these allegations or the reported retaliatory killings carried out by JNIM. The conflict between government forces and Islamist armed groups such as JNIM has caused widespread displacement, with over 3.7 million people internally displaced across the country, according to the UN Refugee Agency’s recent assessments, available here.
This recent operation occurs within the broader context of escalating violence in Burkina Faso, as highlighted in previous reports. Since the military junta assumed control in 2022, both government forces and Islamist groups have been implicated in widespread civilian casualties. The current administration has also implemented authoritarian measures, including curtailments of free speech and media freedoms, and the reinstatement of the death penalty.