Burkina Faso Forces Kill Over 100 Fulani Civilians in Solenzo Massacre, HRW Says

Human Rights Watch has reported that Burkina Faso government forces and pro-government militias, specifically the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland, were responsible for massacring over 100 ethnic Fulani civilians near Solenzo in March 2025. This event occurred during Operation Green Whirlwind 2, a military campaign led by special forces that caused widespread civilian deaths and displacement. The Fulani community, long accused by the government of supporting Muslim militants, was targeted in these attacks, which were followed by retaliatory killings from Islamist armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda. The military junta, which seized power in 2022, has failed to stabilize the country, with large portions now outside government control amid ongoing violence. Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have called for impartial investigations and prosecution of those responsible for these war crimes and atrocity crimes. The Burkinabe government initially denied involvement, condemning social media reports as misinformation, but evidence gathered from victim testimonies and videos strongly implicate the military and allied militias.