As the 45th session of the Human Rights Council nears its conclusion, 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, along with all Council members, to direct their focused attention towards the Peul populations in Burkina Faso. These communities find themselves ensnared within the intricate and often brutal counter-terrorism operations across the Sahel region.

Since 2016, the Peul people of Burkina Faso have been subjected to grave human rights abuses, which in numerous instances, could be classified as international crimes. The staggering scale of massacres observed in certain localities raises serious concerns, potentially indicating ethnic cleansing due to their pervasive, systematic, and widespread nature.

These atrocities frequently involve the extrajudicial execution of thousands of civilians, perpetrated either by state security forces, often supported by government-backed self-defense groups, or by various non-state armed factions. Between January 2019 and May 2020 alone, hundreds of civilians were brutally killed in areas including Yirgou, Kain Ouro, Banh, Barga, Djibo, and Tawalbougou. Furthermore, thousands of other civilians, many of them children, languish in inhumane conditions within prisons such as Kaya and Loumbila, following arbitrary arrests and clandestine detentions, often without ever gaining access to legal counsel or magistrates. Compounding these issues, a pervasive atmosphere of discrimination and stigmatization has emerged against these communities, who are also grappling with severe food insecurity.

Despite the proliferation of reports and numerous complaints lodged with the courts, Burkinabe authorities have regrettably failed to identify or hold accountable those responsible for these severe violations. We therefore urge the Human Rights Council to recommend that Burkina Faso’s authorities implement comprehensive security and judicial measures to establish a protective environment for this vulnerable group.

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Iolanda Jaquemet, Director of Communications
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The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) stands as the leading global coalition of non-governmental organizations dedicated to combating torture and ill-treatment. It comprises over 200 member organizations across more than 90 countries, with its international secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland.