Human Rights Watch criticizes Burkina Faso for omitting human rights violations from its state report

Human Rights Watch accuses the government of Burkina Faso of failing to include human rights abuses occurring in the country in a report to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.

The Burkinabe authorities, security forces and terrorist groups are accused of widespread abuses against civilians and restrictions on people’s rights and freedoms.

The Commission requires Member States to report on the human rights situation in their countries and the measures taken by the authorities to combat abuses. The latest report covers the years 2015 to 2021 and was reviewed on Wednesday.

Allan Ngari, HRW director of Africa advocacy, said the reporting on Burkina Faso did not address recent abuses in the country.

“The report falls short of a series of human rights violations that we as Human Rights Watch documented between 2021 and 2024, so this information is not readily available to the commission at this time,” Nagari said, adding that the group I have shared reports with the Commission to take account of recent years.

Local and international human rights groups say there are widespread human rights abuses in the country as the military government grapples with insecurity caused by Islamist extremist groups.

According to the human rights groups, abuses by the government and military include arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and interference with the judiciary and media.

The Islamist groups are also accused of serious abuses against civilians, including mass executions, sexual violence, kidnappings and the siege of towns and villages across the country.

Burkina Faso’s report to the commission said the government had established a body to investigate and prosecute terrorist attacks, protect the rights of detainees and train its security forces in international human rights and humanitarian law to prevent abuses.

Paul Ogendi teaches law at the University of Nairobi and is a human rights expert at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. He said regular reporting on the human rights situation in a particular country could help the country improve its record and save lives.

“The reporting requirement is very important to help the country comply with the African Charter or fulfill the obligations under the African Charter,” Ogendi said. “If you don’t report, it is very difficult for the Commission, within its mandate, to help you as a country improve aspects where there may be weaknesses.”

Ngari said people in Burkina Faso continued to face abuses, but there were other concerns. This includes securing civic space for activists, journalists and political opponents who have been targeted by the state and “disappeared” but have been forced to move to the front lines in the fight against Islamic armed groups.

“People who have no training in military operations and yet are deployed on the front lines,” Ngari said. “We therefore urge the Commission to take note of these anomalies and violations of the African Charter and call on the government of Burkina Faso to take responsibility for serious abuses.”

Ogendi explained what measures the Commission can take against a country that does not comply.

“Most of the measures are being taken to make heads of state take notice of what is happening and perhaps in some cases push the state to comply with its obligations under the African Charter,” Ogendi said. “But I have also seen a situation where the commission can have a mission in these countries or they can carry out advocacy visits to try to talk to the heads of state of those responsible.”

Last year, following the killing of civilians in Namentenga and Yatenga provinces, the Commission wrote to Burkina Faso to open an investigation and ensure the protection of civilians.