Burkina Faso has launched an investigation into reported killings in two northern villages in February, according to a government spokesperson. This announcement comes in response to a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) accusing the Burkinabe army of executing hundreds of people in the villages of Nodin and Soro.
The Human Rights Watch report, released on Thursday, alleged that the military carried out the executions as part of a campaign targeting civilians suspected of collaborating with jihadist militants.
The report cited telephone interviews with witnesses, civil society members, and others to support its claims, stating that at least 223 people, including 56 children, were killed in the attacks.
However, government spokesperson Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo dismissed the Human Rights Watch’s allegations as “peremptory” and insisted that the ruling junta is committed to investigating the alleged atrocities.
Ouedraogo emphasized that a judicial investigation into the killings in Nodin and Soro has been initiated, referencing a statement by a regional prosecutor issued on March 1.
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