Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday urged the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to press Burkina Faso on critical rights issues during the commission’s scheduled review of the country on October 23.

The rights group called for the protection of civilians amid the country’s ongoing armed conflict, the removal of restrictions on journalists, dissidents, and political opposition, and accountability for human rights violations. HRW Africa advocacy director Allan Ngari stated: “The commission should press the authorities to prioritize the protection of civilians during military operations and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.”

According to HRW, Burkina Faso’s 2023 report on measures to uphold rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights does not address current human rights concerns. The report, which the charter requires, covers events and measures between 2015 and 2021.

HRW stated:

Under international law, the Burkinabè government bears primary responsibility for ensuring justice for the most serious crimes. Yet, it has made limited progress in investigating, much less prosecuting, those responsible for the many grave offenses committed during the armed conflict since 2016. The report from Burkina Faso provides no information on investigations into alleged abuses by government security forces during the reporting period nor on any judicial proceedings.

International organizations and rights groups have expressed deep concern over the state of human rights in Burkina Faso during and after the 2015-2021 reporting period. Last year, Amnesty International found that armed groups are committing war crimes and human rights abuses in the country. The alleged abuses included civilian killings, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the abduction of women and girls. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also expressed concern in May over the increased killings of civilians by armed groups and state authorities.

Last month, HRW reported that Islamist groups within the country have amplified their attacks on civilians amid the groups’ conflict with the Burkinabè government. The rights group found that over 6,000 people died as a result of the conflict during the first eight months of 2024. HRW has documented various “grave abuses” by both Burkinabè authorities and Islamist armed groups since 2016. The rights group has denounced the restriction of civil and political rights by the government, including the use of unlawful conscription. Critics of the government have further reported a crackdown on activists, opposition party members, journalists, and dissidents.

In 2016, Islamist organizations in Mali began expanding their control into Burkina Faso. The government has since been engaged in armed conflicts with the groups, with a rise in violent extremism plaguing the country. Violence again surged when the military seized power through a coup in October 2022, resulting in Ibrahim Traoré becoming the country’s interim president. Traoré then extended junta rule in May 2024, lengthening the country’s transition period to five years despite international concerns over the government’s human rights abuses.