United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk has called to expedite investigation into killing of at least 28 people whose bodies were found in north-western town of Nouna, in the Kossi Province Boucle du Mouhoun region, on 30-31 December.
The Commissioner made the call in a letter sent to the Foreign Minister over the weekend, urging the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso to ensure prompt thorough, impartial and transparent and to hold all those responsible to account regardless of position or rank.
According to him, “It is encouraging that the authorities have announced an investigation into the incident. I call on them to ensure it is prompt, thorough, impartial and transparent and to hold all those responsible to account regardless of position or rank.
“I have sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs underlining this exact message. The victims and their loved ones are owed no less”, the Commissioner said.
In a statement through the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said local source explained that members of the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP), armed auxiliaries to the defence, security forces, descended on the town killing 28 men, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack on the group’s military base the previous night by suspected members of the Jamāʿat nuṣrat al-islām wal-muslimīn (JNIM) armed group.
While government spokesperson said in a statement on 2 January that an investigation had been launched and that the transitional government was “fundamentally opposed to any form of abuse or human rights violations on any grounds” and reiterated its commitment to protect all civilians without any distinction.
The High Commissioner has previously raised concerns directly with the authorities regarding the potential human rights risks linked to recruitment, arming and deployment of auxiliaries in Burkina Faso.
“There is an urgent need to strengthen their vetting procedures, pre-deployment training on international human rights and humanitarian law, their effective supervision by the security and defence forces and to ensure inclusion and transparency during their recruitment”.
Report gathered says terrorism in Burkina Faso has been spreading rapidly since 2015 in the wake of the ousting of President Blaise Compaore who had ruled the West African nation for 27 years until 2014. The coup mongers killed thousands and displaced millions of Burkinabe people.
In 2019, the country launched the VDP programme, allowing civilian volunteers to join Burkina Faso’s military forces to fight against terrorist groups linked to Daesh and Al-Qaeda in order to recuperate territories occupied by the militants.
During 2022, Burkina Faso witnessed two military coups within an eight- month period caused by govt’s failure to address ongoing insecurity in the country. In September 2022, military captain President Ibrahim Traore was sworn in as head of Burkina Faso’s transitional govt following a coup against Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.