Burkina Faso Conflict Kills Over 1,800 Civilians: HRW Report

April 2, 2026

Summary

Conflict in Burkina Faso leads to over 1,800 civilian deaths since 2023, HRW reports.

Why this matters

This report underscores the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso, prompting international legal scrutiny and potential sanctions.

Burkina Faso’s conflict involving the military, civilian auxiliaries, and jihadist groups has resulted in the deaths of more than 1,800 civilians since 2023, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). These incidents, spanning 11 regions, are said to constitute “war crimes and crimes against humanity.” HRW’s report calls for the International Criminal Court to investigate weapons crimes by all parties since September 2022.

The ruling junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré after a 2022 coup, has struggled to control violence from jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The army has enlisted the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland, composed of civilians, to combat jihadists.

HRW’s findings indicate that the military and volunteer fighters were responsible for at least 1,255 civilian deaths from January 2023 to April 2025. Meanwhile, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, an al Qaeda affiliate known as JNIM, caused at least 582 deaths in the same period.

Among the most severe incidents was an attack by the military and volunteers in December 2023, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties across multiple villages near Djibo, HRW reported.

HRW also documented an August 2024 assault on Barsalogho by JNIM, causing over 133 fatalities and injuring more than 200.

Traoré is urged to be “impartially investigated for criminal liability for all abuses by the Burkinabe military and VDPs documented in this report that amount to serious international crimes, as a matter of command responsibility,” according to HRW.

Other officials, including the current and former defense ministers, should also face investigation, HRW asserted. The organization highlights its report’s foundation on interviews and various forms of media analysis, stressing the need for sanctions and reduced cooperation with Burkina Faso’s military.

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Prosecutors in “various prefectures” charged Cpl. Malik Lewis and Lance Cpl. Damien Helms with offenses including trespassing, larceny, attempted larceny, and being an accomplice to larceny, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing spokesman Maj. Joseph Butterfield said.

Lewis, 26, and Helms, 20, are flight equipment technicians with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, part of Marine Aircraft Group 12. They are in Marine Corps custody, Butterfield said.

According to a Feb. 17 news release from Iwakuni city, prosecutors alleged the Marines used a stolen key to enter businesses in Kabukicho, a nightlife district in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward, and stole about $170 in cash between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Dec. 24. Tokyo police referred the case to prosecutors on Feb. 13, the release said.

The Fukuoka District Public Prosecutors Office also indicted both men on March 24 on charges of trespassing, larceny, and attempted larceny, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. She declined to provide details.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that prosecutors alleged the pair broke into six restaurants in Nakasu, a nightlife district in Fukuoka city, on the morning of Dec. 20 and stole cash worth about $2,652.

Lewis was also indicted March 5 by the Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office, according to Sankei Shimbun. Authorities alleged he broke into a business in Hiroshima city’s Naka ward on Dec. 18 and stole about $1,452 in cash. He also allegedly tried to steal items from another business but fled after a security alarm sounded, Sankei reported.

Yomiuri Shimbun reported March 17 that police in Yamaguchi prefecture referred a case against Lewis for allegedly breaking into a business and attempting to steal cash on the night of Dec. 18. As of Tuesday, prosecutors had not decided whether to indict in that case, a spokesman said.

Butterfield said the Marines were “actively working” with Japanese authorities.

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The Marine Corps said monthly Family Separation Allowance rose from $250 to $300 under MARADMIN 150/26, released April 1, 2026.

The increase stemmed from the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and applied retroactively to Dec. 18, 2025, when the law took effect. The Marine Corps said the Marine Corps Total Force System made the change automatically, so eligible Marines did not need to file additional paperwork.

The higher rate covered all three categories of the allowance: restricted movement, shipboard, and temporary duty. Service members qualified when orders kept them away from dependents for more than 30 days and prevented family travel at government expense. The allowance was prorated daily after that threshold, or about $10 a day at the new rate.

Marines married to other service members could receive the allowance if the couple lived together before the separation. The payment was in addition to basic pay, housing allowance, and other entitlements.

For a six-month deployment, the increase amounted to $300 more than under the previous rate. Over a full year of qualifying service, the difference totaled $600.

The change could affect Marines on deployments, ship rotations, and extended training assignments, including those in the Pacific. It could also apply more often in some Exceptional Family Member Program cases, when dependents cannot relocate and restricted-movement eligibility is triggered.

The Marine Corps said disbursing offices and administrative sections would verify payments for periods on or after Dec. 18, 2025. Marines who believed they qualified during the retroactive period but had not received the adjustment were advised to contact their unit administrative office or the Manpower Plans and Policy point of contact listed in the MARADMIN.

For new separations, Marines will submit DD Form 1561 through their chain of command after the 30-day mark, and the payment will process at the higher rate.

The article said Congress had authorized a larger increase to $400 two years earlier, but the Defense Department kept the rate at $250 until the 2026 NDAA required the $300 amount. The new rate will remain in effect unless future legislation or Defense Department policy changes it.