An investigation was opened after “dissemination on social networks of a video of mutilation of a human body by subjects dressed in military uniforms of the National Armed Forces (FAN)” of Burkina Faso, the General Staff announced on Sunday, November 10 in a press release. “The competent services have been contacted to determine the authenticity and origin of this video, as well as the identity of the people involved so that they can be held accountable for their actions, if the facts are proven”continuous. Nothing in the video allows us to identify the place, the date and the actors, some of whom wear military uniforms.
In July, the Burkinabe army condemned acts of mutilation of corpses, visible in videos widely distributed on social networks, carried out by people suspected of being soldiers and Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP, civil auxiliaries). The Malian army was also highlighted in a video showing similar acts by men wearing the uniform and insignia of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa).
“This atrocious act is contrary to the military and moral values instilled in the FAN personnel as well as the VDP and violates the rules of engagement of the units on the ground”staff explained Sunday. According to him, “all operations to reconquer the national territory are carried out with the greatest respect for human rights”.
Regularly accused of extrajudicial executions, the Burkinabe army has always denied them, sometimes accusing armed groups of using military equipment. Human Rights Watch has criticized the military on several occasions. In April, the NGO accused her of having executed at least 223 civilians, including 56 children, in the north of the country at the end of February.
Burkina Faso, ruled by a military regime, faces deadly jihadist attacks. Since 2015, this violence attributed to armed movements affiliated with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group has left more than 26,000 dead, including more than 13,500 since the September 2022 coup that brought the country to power. They have also caused more than 2 million internal displacements. Ibrahim Traoré had promised to make the fight against terrorism his ” priority “.
