More than 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since Ibrahim Traoré seized power three years ago in acts amounting to "war crimes and crimes against humanity", a new report says.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says about 1,837 civilians, including dozens of children, were killed in 57 incidents between January 2023 and August 2025.
It attributes most of the killings - 1,255 - to the military and allied militias, with the rest blamed on Islamist militants.
HRW finds President Traoré and six senior military commanders "may be liable as a matter of command responsibility for grave abuses and should be investigated". It also says five jihadist leaders may be culpable.
The Burkinabé authorities have not yet commented on the report but have dismissed previous accusations that their forces have killed civilians.
