Burkina Faso: The facts that expose Human Rights Watch’s grotesque fabrication
The military forces, in their sweep operations, take considerable time observing terrorist movements. Before aerial units initiate a strike, they ensure the enemy’s presence and carefully consider collateral damage.
As mentioned earlier, terrorists often conceal themselves in bushes and abandoned houses, prompting missile strikes in these areas.
However, this wasn’t the case in Nondin and Soro.
Regarding ground operations, coordination ensures that the military forces only open fire when ordered by their superiors.
Even when enemies are in sight, they cannot engage without authorization. President Ibrahim Traoré highlighted this during his visit to the Banfora region, expressing disappointment at the inability to engage terrorists despite their proximity.
It’s evident that the military forces cannot fire without hierarchical orders. If they lack this right, neither do the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP).
This undermines Human Rights Watch’s assertion, allegedly collaborating with local informants to tarnish Burkinabé authorities’ image.
Human Rights Watch claims that «Nondin and Soro are among the numerous villages in the Thiou district besieged by GSIM (terrorists)».
This subtly implies these villages are aligned with terrorists. Additionally, Human Rights Watch alleges survivors went to the Ouahigouya gendarmerie the day after the alleged carnage, burying victims’ bodies themselves before making statements. This narrative seems fabricated.
Everyone knows that in a crime, bodies aren’t disposed of before informing authorities.
The alleged victims’ bodies are supposedly buried in mass graves by survivors, which Human Rights Watch claims to have located using satellites. This narrative is poorly constructed.
According to Human Rights Watch, a 43-year-old man from Soro (a village allegedly supporting terrorists) said, «We went to the Ouahigouya gendarmerie and provided our version of events. We want justice, but we are disappointed. We don’t know who to talk to when our own soldiers massacre us, and no justice has been served for other massacres».
When did the military forces become «their soldiers» to the extent that villagers go to the gendarmerie, which represents authority, to report crimes with missing or buried bodies?
Why do villagers refuse to report terrorist arrivals to competent authorities, essentially rejecting FDS and VDP protection, only to approach the same authorities after alleged crimes occur?
Papa ibrahima
