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Africa Subsaharan

Burkina Faso soldiers massacred over 200 civilians in a day, Human Rights Watch says

2024-04-27

[AFRICANEWS] Human Rights Watch has documented a staggering toll of civilian deaths in a single day in Burkina Faso this year. According to their investigation, more than 220 civilians, among them at least 56 children, fell victim to atrocities allegedly committed by the country's military.

The events unfolded on February 25th, with the village of Soro bearing witness to the loss of 179 lives, while 44 others perished in the neighbouring village of Nondin. Human Rights Watch has labelled these mass killings as some of the most egregious abuses by the army in nearly ten years.

While the report has shed light on these horrific acts, Burkina Faso authorities have remained silent on the matter. However,
it was a brave man who first ate an oyster...
public prosecutor Aly Benjamin Coulibaly has made a public appeal for witnesses to come forward and assist in identifying those responsible for the massacre, initially estimating the death toll at 170.

Eyewitness testimonies provided a chilling account of the military's assault. Survivors recounted how a convoy of over 100 soldiers descended upon Nondin village shortly after Islamist fighters had passed through the area. The soldiers systematically forced villagers from their homes, gathered them in groups, and mercilessly opened fire, leaving no one spared, even those attempting to seek refuge.

The brutality extended to Soro village, located just 5 kilometers away, where the military repeated their deadly actions, shooting indiscriminately at villagers and those attempting to flee.

The military has justified these heinous acts as retaliation against villagers accused of aiding Islamist fighters, following an attack on a nearby military camp by insurgent forces in the northern Yatenga province.

Tirana Hassan, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, condemned the massacres, citing them as the latest in a series of civilian atrocities committed by the Burkina Faso military in their counterinsurgency efforts.

Burkina Faso, governed by a military junta since a coup in 2022, had promised to quell the insurgency. However,
a good lie finds more believers than a bad truth...
the violence has persisted, with jihadist groups now controlling over a third of the country.

International entities, including the European Union and the United Nations, have accused Burkina Faso of grave human rights violations in its fight against insurgency, citing indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of civilians as among the atrocities committed.

Posted by:Fred

#17 "Wanna drive like Peter Revson and comb my hair like James Dean."

OK, son. You do that.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 22:13

#16 "I always thought a cigarette tasted best after a meal. This is better..."

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 22:01

#15 #4 "Damn, I'm hit. Anyway..."

Posted by: Rex Mundi 2024-04-27 18:06

#14 See: Heart of Darkness

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 09:05

#13 "Kill the Boer!". So, wait, sorry, wrong part of Africa. The EU and UN and the Vatican, when they aren't more concerned with climate change, are on it.

Posted by: DooDahMan 2024-04-27 09:04

#12 The real reason the rest of the world hates America. We stomped the tribal crap (wring your hands if you will) and harnessed the land in every way. All very Biblical. All very alarming to non-believers.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 08:25

#11 The sad part is Africa is an amazing continent, fertile, rich in natural resources.

But it needs fumigated.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 08:23

#10 Don't neglect the super vid and sound track from number 7.

Posted by: Besoeker 2024-04-27 08:18

#9 “Don’t be impertinent. I’m a Count. My blood is blue.”
A great quote.

Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2024-04-27 08:17

#8 Great link, B.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 08:16

#7 And now for the rest of the story.

(BTW, thanks for posting the photo Merc)

Posted by: Besoeker 2024-04-27 08:10

#6 I nominate the photo of Bonde for a new tabloid category: Guys who do stuff.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 08:05

#5 /\ Carl Gustaf m/45 (Swedish-K) subgun held in right hand. Passable calligraphy could be accomplished at 15 meters with that little jewel.

Posted by: Besoeker 2024-04-27 07:56

Swedish Maj. Eric Bonde takes asmoke break after catching a couple bullets in the Congo, 1960.

Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-04-27 07:50

#3 Huge protest demonstration in western universities tomorrow!!!

Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2024-04-27 07:19

Nothing much has changed in Central Afrika since Feb of 1965, or possibly ten thousand years before. Nothing much is likely to change in the future.

"I supply every army except the Salvation Army."
~ Nicholas Cage - Lord of War

Posted by: Besoeker 2024-04-27 06:20

#1 And that was before Biden 'pulled' the SpecOPS out.

Posted by: Skidmark 2024-04-27 05:38

00:00