Burkina Faso’s military leader: rhetoric versus grim reality

At 36, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, adorned with freshly minted captain’s stripes, presides over a presidential palace he secured not through electoral victory but by abolishing the very concept of elections. This convenient maneuver allows him to bypass the need to deceive voters, opting instead for direct misrepresentation to the press.

The captain’s glowing self-assessment

From the opulent Koulouba palace, Captain Traoré recently hosted six journalists, delivering a two-hour monologue of purported achievements. He painted a picture of military triumph, asserting that the army was reclaiming vast territories. Economically, he claimed industrial sectors were flourishing, gold reserves were escalating, and infrastructure, specifically highway expansion, was progressing. Furthermore, he declared the Burkinabè populace had never experienced such profound freedom. His narrative, however, notably lacked any accompanying musical score or symbolic flag display.

A starkly contrasting report emerges

Yet, as Captain Traoré presented his optimistic account, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a comprehensive 351-page dossier titled “No One Will Escape.” This report, brimming with eyewitness testimonies, irrefutable satellite imagery, and chilling lists of the deceased, documented a harrowing toll: 1,837 civilians killed over two and a half years. The perpetrators identified included the national army, the VDP militias, and JNIM jihadist groups. While all factions contributed to the violence, HRW highlighted a disturbing pattern: state-affiliated forces engaged in systematic killings, often with drone surveillance and explicit orders from higher command, constituting grave war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Evidence of systematic atrocities

• Ethnic cleansing: The report meticulously detailed the ethnic targeting of the Fulani community.
• Summary executions: Shocking incidents included the summary execution of 223 civilians, including 56 children, in Nondin in February 2024.
• Massacres: Hundreds perished in Baraboulé in December 2023, and 130 Fulani were slaughtered near Solenzo in March 2025.
• Mass graves: The existence of mass graves, corroborated by survivor accounts and satellite evidence, painted a grim picture.

Such findings are often conveniently dismissed as a “Western conspiracy” by the regime.

“Recaptured” towns built on tragedy

Ironically, Captain Traoré proudly cited towns like Baraboulé and Pétégoli as examples of successful military “recapture.” However, HRW’s investigation revealed a darker truth: these areas were the sites of Operation Tchéfari 2, euphemistically named “The Warriors’ Honey” in Fulfulde. This operation, far from a triumph, saw the army systematically kill hundreds of civilians across 16 villages. While state television lauded it as a “success,” survivors unequivocally described it as a massacre.

Traoré’s explanation for these atrocities strains credulity: he posits that terrorists, disguised in military uniforms, orchestrate these killings, even utilizing military drones and coordinating multiple battalions, before retreating. Such a level of operational sophistication for individuals he describes as merely “reading the Quran in the bush” seems remarkably improbable.

The silence surrounding the Fulani

Throughout his extensive two-hour interview, the term “Fulani” was conspicuously absent – not a single mention. This deliberate omission is profoundly disturbing, akin to recounting World War II history without acknowledging the Jewish people.

HRW’s report, however, extensively documents the systematic targeting of the Fulani community, who constitute 8% of Burkina Faso’s population. They are collectively accused of terrorism, leading to widespread massacres and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. The report even quotes Captain Traoré himself, addressing Fulani leaders in February 2023, warning: “There will be many dead. And it will be more complicated for your community.” His presidential guard chief reportedly issued an even starker threat: “We will kill them all.” Despite this, the regime maintains there is no “Fulani problem” in Burkina Faso, only a “problem of Fulani.”

A peculiar definition of freedom

Captain Traoré adamantly asserted that Burkinabè citizens enjoy “much greater freedom” than their European counterparts. This claim stands in stark contrast to the grim reality: citizens are free to disappear. Journalists have been forcibly abducted and conscripted into militias, independent media outlets have been shut down, and human rights websites blocked. The electoral commission has been abolished, and the death penalty reinstated. Adding to this oppressive environment, pro-junta troll networks, known as the “BIR-C” (Rapid Communication Intervention Battalions), inundate social media with propaganda and deepfakes designed to glorify the military leader, making other authoritarian regimes appear less sophisticated by comparison.

Justice: a selective application

Human Rights Watch advocates for Captain Traoré to face investigation for command responsibility, naming six generals in their report. To date, none have been brought to trial. The junta’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) further underscores a reluctance for external scrutiny. This move is particularly telling: those with “nothing to hide” typically do not flee international tribunals.

Meanwhile, Traoré publicly humiliates minor offenders, such as traffic officers caught pocketing 500 CFA francs, elevating such incidents to national scandal. In stark contrast, the massacre of hundreds of civilians by the army is conveniently labeled “terrorist perfidy.” The regime’s priorities are undeniably skewed.

Blaming external forces

Any form of external criticism is swiftly dismissed by Traoré’s regime: a European Parliament resolution is “interference,” the French army chief is told to “mind his own business,” NGOs are “manipulators,” and the media, along with the internet and territorial maps, are labeled “liars” or “fake.” Even a 351-page report based on 450 interviews is deemed “fake.” Essentially, everything is fabricated except his own narrative.

While the postcolonial grievance against historical French exploitation of Africa is a legitimate concern, leveraging this historical fact as an impenetrable shield to justify the massacre of one’s own population mirrors the tactics of figures like Mugabe, but at an accelerated pace. Anti-imperialism, it must be stressed, does not confer a license to kill.

In a chilling final note, Traoré encourages Burkinabè to “have children” because “the land is rich.” Tragically, the land is indeed becoming richer – with the bodies of those buried within it.