Human Rights Watch (HRW) has flagged concerns over the killing of at least 27 civilians, including a five-year-old child, in two attacks by Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in northern Burkina Faso, urging investigations into apparent war crimes and stronger civilian protection.
The attacks occurred in the Ouahigouya district, where armed fighters targeted an artisanal gold mining site and an explosive device struck a motorcycle carrying three civilians.
In its latest findings, HRW indicated that the attacks violated international humanitarian law, documenting 24 civilian deaths at the Soubo mining site, at least 20 injuries and the destruction of hundreds of temporary structures, motorcycles and mining equipment.
Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, “The JNIM armed group’s relentless, unlawful attacks put civilians across Burkina Faso at grave risk.”
“The authorities should urgently strengthen protection for threatened communities, investigate abuses, and fairly prosecute those responsible.”
Ilaria Allegrozzi
According to Human Rights Watch, more than 60 JNIM fighters travelling on motorbikes stormed an artisanal gold mining site approximately 1.5 kilometres northwest of Soubo village on the first day of September.
The fighters opened fire on people sleeping and working at the site, including those attempting to escape.
An eyewitness interviewed by the organisation revealed, “I’ve seen dozens of injured people, many by bullets, others because they fell while fleeing and fractured their legs or arms.”
HRW also revealed that fighters destroyed hundreds of temporary shelters, restaurants, motorcycles, mining tools, water pumps and other equipment.
The organisation corroborated witness accounts through satellite imagery, fire detection data and four geolocated videos showing the aftermath of the attack. Satellite imagery recorded before the incident showed at least 800 structures at the site, while subsequent imagery revealed extensive destruction and burn scars.
JNIM’s Sharia Committee acknowledged responsibility for the attack in a September 30 response to HRW but claimed its fighters had targeted members of government-allied Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) rather than civilians.
However, witnesses maintained that neither soldiers nor VDP members were present or stationed at the mining site during the attack, although they occasionally patrolled the surrounding area.
The incident occurred despite a government order suspending artisanal mining activities in the Ouahigouya district between July 1 and September 30 to protect miners from rainy-season landslides.
Explosive Attack Kills Woman and Child Near Mera
Days after the Soubo attack, another explosion killed three civilians travelling on a motorcycle along a dirt track near Mera village, approximately three kilometres from the settlement.
The explosion took the lives of the 40-year-old motorcycle driver, a 65-year-old woman and a five-year-old boy.
According to an HRW eyewitness account, “I saw a motorcycle in front of me with three people on it, and suddenly there was an explosion. Dust flew around like a whirlwind. I heard a loud bang that threw me off [the bike]. The explosion shook the ground.”
Soldiers subsequently secured the area, searched for additional explosive devices, and defused three more IEDs, allowing residents to recover the victims safely.
HRW noted that JNIM has repeatedly used improvised explosive devices in Burkina Faso. A 2025 report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines also documented the group’s use of such weapons.
Burkina Faso recorded more than 200 casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024, placing it among the countries with the highest recorded figures globally.
The organisation further warned that victim-activated explosive devices function as antipersonnel mines and are prohibited under the Mine Ban Treaty, which Burkina Faso ratified in 1998.
HRW Calls for War Crimes Investigations and Civilian Protection
Human Rights Watch emphasised that the attacks constituted violations of international humanitarian law, which prohibits deliberately targeting civilians, looting and destroying civilian property.
Under Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international humanitarian law, all parties to Burkina Faso’s armed conflict are required to protect civilians from attacks.
The organisation maintained that individuals who order, commit or assist serious violations of the laws of war with criminal intent may face prosecution for war crimes.
It also called on Burkina Faso’s authorities to investigate alleged violations and ensure those responsible are appropriately prosecuted.
Allegrozzi urged JNIM to immediately stop attacks against civilians and hold commanders responsible for abuses, while calling on the government to strengthen protection for threatened communities.
“JNIM forces should immediately cease unlawful attacks against civilians and appropriately punish responsible commanders. Burkina Faso’s authorities should urgently improve demining efforts and increase assistance to victims of IED attacks.”
Ilaria Allegrozzi
The latest incidents add to a prolonged security crisis in Burkina Faso, where JNIM has waged an insurgency since 2017, repeatedly attacking civilians and forcibly displacing tens of thousands of people.
Government forces and VDP militias have also faced allegations of serious abuses, particularly against Fulani communities accused of supporting Islamist armed groups. In an April 2026 report, HRW documented attacks against Fulani communities that it said had resulted in the ethnic cleansing of entire communities.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project further showed that JNIM carried out 125 attacks across Burkina Faso between January and August 2026, killing 188 civilians, including at least 16 in improvised explosive device attacks.
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