As the 45th session of the Human Rights Council draws to a close, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and its partners within the SOS-Torture Network urgently call upon the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and all Council members to focus intently on the Peul populations in Burkina Faso. These communities find themselves entrapped in the escalating conflict against terrorism across the Sahel region.

Since 2016, the Peul people of Burkina Faso have been subjected to severe human rights violations, which in many cases may escalate to international crimes. The overwhelming scale of massacres in specific areas could even be indicative of ethnic cleansing, given their widespread, systematic, and massive nature.

These atrocities frequently involve extrajudicial executions of thousands of civilians, perpetrated either by state security forces, often aided by state-supported self-defense groups, or by non-state armed groups. Between January 2019 and May 2020, hundreds of civilians were brutally killed in locations such as Yirgou, Kain Ouro, Banh, Barga, Djibo, and Tawalbougou. Furthermore, thousands more civilians, including children, languish in prisons, notably in Kaya and Loumbila, under inhumane conditions. These individuals have faced arbitrary arrests and secret detentions, often without ever encountering magistrates or legal counsel. Compounding these issues, a pervasive environment of discrimination and stigmatization has emerged, leading to severe food insecurity for these vulnerable populations.

Despite numerous reports and formal complaints lodged with the courts, Burkinabe authorities have shown a persistent failure to identify and hold accountable those responsible for these grave violations. We implore the Human Rights Council to recommend that the authorities of Burkina Faso implement all necessary security and judicial measures to establish a protective environment for this at-risk group.

Media Contact:

Iolanda Jaquemet, Communications Director
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The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) stands as the leading global coalition of NGOs dedicated to combating torture and ill-treatment. With over 200 member organizations spanning more than 90 countries, its international secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.