Burkina Faso / The Manipulation of NGOs to discredit the Burkinabe Army: Lessons from Libya and Rwanda
In a global context where information and disinformation can easily be confused, reports from certain international NGOs are often perceived as impartial. However, recent history has shown that some of these organizations can be used as political tools by foreign powers to destabilize regimes they find troublesome.
To recall, in 2011, Human Rights Watch was involved in a controversial case in Libya where bodies exhumed from a mass grave near the town of Al-Qawalish were presented as victims of the Gaddafi regime. This report contributed to justifying NATO’s military intervention.
However, subsequent investigations revealed that these accusations were false, casting doubt on the credibility of HRW’s reports. Nicolas Sarkozy, then the French President, was implicated in scandals related to this intervention, highlighting the political dimension of these reports.
Similarly, in Rwanda, NGO reports were often used for political agendas, influencing international perceptions of the genocide and its aftermath. These precedents show how NGO reports can be manipulated to serve specific interests.
The Case of Burkina Faso
Recently, similar accusations have emerged regarding Burkina Faso. Reports from Human Rights Watch accuse the Burkinabe army of human rights violations, drawing criticism from the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. These accusations are seen as an attempt at destabilization, similar to the strategies used in Libya.
The lessons from Libya and Rwanda show that NGOs reports must be scrutinized carefully, especially when they are used to justify political or military actions. In Burkina Faso, the accusations against the Burkinabe army and their Commander-in-Chief, President Ibrahim Traoré, are seen as mere pretexts to destabilize the country.
