People accused of plotting against the state were arbitrarily arrested. Activists, journalists and magistrates were victims of enforced disappearances. The continuing armed conflict resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and the blockades of several towns. Media organizations were temporarily closed. The government planned to criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations in the amended Personal and Family Code.
Background
In January, Burkina Faso announced its intention to leave ECOWAS in a joint declaration with Mali and Niger. In July a Confederation of Sahelian States, uniting these three countries, was announced.
In May the political transition, which started in January 2022 and was due to end in July, was extended for a further five years.
The conflict continued to rage between government forces and the armed groups the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and the Islamic State in the Sahel. Burkinabe authorities claimed to have reconquered 69% of the country as of August.
As of May, there were more than 2 million internally displaced people due to the conflict. In November the government froze the assets of a more than 100 individuals, including exiled opponents and critics that it accused of involvement in terrorism.
Arbitrary detention
In January, Evrard Somda, former high commander of the National Gendarmerie, was accused of involvement in a coup plot and arrested. He remained in incommunicado detention at the end of the year.
Guy-Hervé Kam, a lawyer, was also arrested in January over accusations of involvement in a coup plot and held incommunicado. Several court injunctions ordering his release were not implemented. During his eventual release on 29 May, he was re-arrested by state security forces and presented before a military judge, who accused him of plotting against state security and remanded him in custody. He was freed and placed under judicial review on 10 July. He was arrested and detained again in August after another summons before a military court.
Emmanuel Zoungrana, a former military commander who was accused of “plotting against state security” in January 2022, was re-arrested in May despite court orders calling for his provisional release.1
Enforced disappearances
In February, Bassirou Badjo and Rasmane Zinaba, two members of the citizen’s movement Balai Citoyen, were forcibly disappeared before being forcibly conscripted to the front line, despite a November 2023 court ruling calling for the suspension of their conscription.
In June, Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of the biweekly investigative newspaper L’Évènement, along with journalist Alain Traoré and television presenters Kalifara Séré and Adama Bayala, were arrested, allegedly by security services, and forcibly disappeared. In October the government announced that Atiana Serge Oulon, Kalifara Séré and Adama Bayala had been conscripted for military service but gave no information on the whereabouts of Alain Traoré.
In June, former military commander Yves Didier Bamouni was abducted by unidentified actors. His whereabouts remained undisclosed at the end of the year.
In August, seven magistrates were arrested and forcibly disappeared after they received a conscription order from the authorities to be deployed to the front line. A few days before their arrests, a court in Bobo-Dioulasso ruled that some of the conscription orders were illegal and a violation of their human rights. Some of the conscripted magistrates had been investigating alleged crimes by supporters of the authorities.
Unlawful attacks and killings
Abuses by armed groups
On 25 February an armed group attacked and killed 15 worshippers at a Catholic church in Essakane, Sahel region, according to media and local sources. On the same day an armed group attacked and killed at least 14 worshippers at a mosque in Natiaboani, Est region.
In August around 200 people, including civilians, were reportedly killed by the GSIM in Barsalogho while digging trenches.
On 25 August the GSIM attacked and killed 26 civilians at a church in Kounla, Boucle du Mouhoun region.
Violations by government forces
In February the Burkinabe military unlawfully killed at least 223 civilians, including at least 56 children, during an operation in the villages of Soro and Nodin, according to Human Rights Watch. An investigation into the killings was announced by the Ouahigouya High Court.
In May the French newspaper Libération reported that hundreds of civilians were killed by the military and its proxy forces in Marmiga and several villages near Mansila during a supply operation to besieged towns in the east.
Right to information
In April the Higher Communications Council (CSC) suspended the broadcasters TV5 Monde, BBC and Voice of America, as well as access to the websites of nine international media organizations, for two weeks in retaliation for their reporting on the Nodin and Soro massacres.
In June the CSC suspended for one month all editions of the Burkinabe news organization L’Évènement, denouncing “breaches of law and journalism ethics”, following the publication of an article alleging embezzlement of funds intended for the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland, an auxiliary force of the army. The decision was overruled by an administrative court on 12 July. In August, L’Évènement announced the suspension of its activities.
TV5 Monde was again suspended for six months by the CSC in June, following an interview it conducted with Newton Ahmed Barry, an exiled public figure and critic of the military regime.
In December, the daily newspaper L’Observateur Paalga was summoned by the CSC after publishing an article about the Malian army.
Economic, social and cultural rights
The continued sieges by armed groups against several cities and towns continued to affect people’s access to farmlands, causing a spike in cost of living, and forced displacement of civilians. As of November, the Humanitarian Response Plan – led by OCHA – had only received 40% of funding pledged by the government and donors for healthcare, education and shelter among other things.
Right to education
The conflict had forced the closure of 5,319 schools as of March, affecting 818,149 pupils, according to the Ministry of Education. However, according to UNICEF, 1,304 schools were reopened during the year and 440,945 internally displaced pupils were enrolled.
Women’s and girls’ rights
The preliminary draft decree of the new Personal and Family Code raised the legal age of marriage of men and women to 18 years, in conformity with international law. The draft Code stipulated that the minimum legal age could be reduced to 16 if authorized by a judge, which would be contrary to CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child – both ratified by Burkina Faso – and could encourage child marriage. The draft Code, sent to parliament in July, was yet to be voted on and enacted.
LGBTI people’s rights
The draft Personal and Family Code would criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations, as well as those who defend or promote them, if passed.
Death penalty
In November the government announced its intention to reintroduce the death penalty.
