Wafric News – May 12, 2025

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Burkina Faso’s military and allied militias are facing grave accusations after a wave of violence left over 130 civilians—mostly from the Fulani ethnic group—dead near the western town of Solenzo in March. The killings reportedly occurred during a wide-scale military campaign in the Boucle du Mouhoun region.

Eyewitness accounts and local testimonies reveal that government troops, supported by pro-government militias known as Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), stormed Fulani-populated villages under the guise of flushing out insurgents. Drones and military helicopters were seen hovering above the targeted areas as civilians were executed, suggesting central coordination and oversight of the operation.

The violence sparked widespread panic and mass displacement, with entire communities forced to flee their homes. One Fulani herder, who lost eight family members in the attack, described how fleeing villagers were shot at by militia fighters as surveillance drones circled overhead. “Many women and children died because they could not run,” he said.

The massacre appears to have triggered retaliatory attacks by an Al-Qaeda-linked armed group, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), which reportedly struck villages accused of collaborating with government forces.

Initial footage of the atrocities circulated online earlier this year, but more detailed investigations have since pointed to direct involvement by the national army alongside the militias. Survivors recounted how hundreds of government soldiers and VDP fighters surrounded villages, indiscriminately killing civilians—including women, children, and the elderly.

Despite mounting evidence, the Burkinabe government has so far denied any wrongdoing, previously dismissing reports of military abuse as “fabricated content aimed at inciting hatred and division.” As of this publication, authorities have not publicly responded to the latest findings.

Burkina Faso’s current military-led government, which seized power in 2022 with promises of restoring national security, has struggled to gain control over vast parts of the country. More than 60 percent of national territory is now estimated to be outside government authority, with insurgent groups continuing to expand their influence.

Critics say the government's increasing reliance on hastily trained civilian militias has only worsened ethnic tensions, particularly against the Fulani community, which has long faced discrimination and accusations of insurgent sympathy.

Human rights groups are now demanding an independent investigation and the prosecution of all those involved in what they are calling one of the deadliest targeted attacks on civilians in the country’s recent history.


By WafricNews Desk.