Report: Burkina Faso's Army Killed 223 Civilians

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Facts

• According to a Human Rights Watch report published on Thursday, Burkina Faso's troops have killed 223 civilians in attacks on two villages accused of collaborating with suspected Islamist militants.¹
• The mass executions, which allegedly included 56 children, occurred in the Nondin and Soro villages in the northern Yatenga province on Feb. 25.²
• The residents claim the killings were carried out in response to an Islamist militants' attack on a military camp outside the nearby provincial capital of Ouahigouya. However, the country's military junta hasn't commented on the allegations.³
• The rights group contends the alleged massacre is part of the country's counterinsurgency campaign and called for international support to launch an investigation into 'possible crimes against humanity.'⁴
• Last November, an army attack on another village reportedly killed at least 70 people. The military blamed the residents for colluding with Islamist militants to kill the soldiers.⁵
• Since jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group first attacked Burkina Faso nine years ago, over 20K people have been reportedly killed, and the junta has lost about half of the country's territory to suspected insurgents.⁶

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²Human Rights Watch, ³Sky News, ⁴Washington Post, ⁵The Hindu and ⁶ABC News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Firstpost. This latest massacre proves that Burkina Faso's military junta has lost all respect for protecting civilian well-being. Under the guise of fighting terrorism, the regime repeatedly carries out atrocities against civilians to demonstrate its power and intimidate the people. Meanwhile, violent Islamists are on the rise since the country turned away from the West and embraced Russia. The suffering population deserves the regime to be held accountable for its crimes against humanity.
• Narrative B, as provided by World Socialist Web Site. Interestingly, Burkina Faso only makes the headlines when scores of people are killed in the conflict-ridden country. Western organizations then prefer to blame the government, although it's doing its utmost to protect the population from Islamist terror. It must also be noted that it was the West's military interventions in Libya and Mali that destabilized the entire region. Against all odds, Burkina Faso will continue to fight for the security and freedom of its people.

Predictions