Burkina Faso rejects HRW report on abuses against civilians

The Burkinabe government rejected a report from Human Rights Watch accusing it of being responsible for the deaths of many civilians in the fight against terrorism. In a statement on April 5, 2026, authorities called the report 'false' and denounced the 'unfounded' accusations. The report mentions nearly 1,800 civilians killed over the past two years, primarily by Burkinabe security forces and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland.