Government forces and their allies in Burkina Faso and Mali have reportedly killed more civilians than jihadist groups in recent years, according to recent data from human rights monitoring and advocacy organizations. These findings highlight a worrying escalation of violence in the Sahel region.
According to a report published by Human Rights Watch, Burkinabe forces and their partners have killed more than twice as many civilians as Islamist militants since 2023. This trend is corroborated by data from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data), which observes a similar pattern in the region.
In Mali, the situation appears even more pronounced. According to ACLED, government forces and their allies are responsible for three to four times more civilian deaths than jihadist groups over the past two years. These figures concern countries ruled by military regimes that came to power following recent coups.
Analysts believe that this violence against civilians could have counterproductive consequences, fueling resentment among local populations and facilitating recruitment by jihadist groups. This phenomenon would contribute to prolonging and intensifying conflicts in the region.
Since 2021, attacks linked to jihadist groups have increased sharply in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, making the Sahel one of the main hotspots of terrorism worldwide. In this context, abuses attributed to state forces further complicate stabilization efforts.
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