Burkina Faso: The government lambasts a Human Rights Watch report, calling it “a web of lies”
The Burkinabe government is not taking it lightly. On April 2, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a damning report on the human rights situation in the country between 2023 and 2025. The response of Ouagadougou was scathing: “false report,” “a web of conjecture,” “unfounded allegations.” No half-measures.
The government attacks the instrument, not just the message. HRW, it says, has “neither an office nor a representation” in Burkina Faso.
Its sources are allegedly “selected individuals, receiving subsidies” to provide paid testimonies. In other words, the NGO would be paying for biased accounts. A serious accusation.
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The official statement insists: The Burkinabe fighting forces “have always fought with professionalism.” Their priority: “preserving life, protecting human rights, defending vulnerable populations.”
This clarification sounds like a plea. The government wants to reassure, both domestically and internationally.
The government could not accept such a report. The period covered (2023-2025) is that of the most intense counterterrorism fight.
Accusations of abuses, violations, and mistreatment of detainees would have weakened the official narrative.
Rather than engaging in a substantive debate, Ouagadougou chooses to counterattack. HRW is not credible, it says.
Olivier TOE
