Human rights in Burkina Faso are addressed in its constitution, which was ratified in 1991. The 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted concerns regarding restrictions on the press and the operation of the judiciary system. In its 2021 report, Human Rights Watch described the human rights situation in Burkina Faso as being "precarious" in light of ongoing violence committed by Islamists, government security forces, and pro-government militias.
Constitution and legislative response Approved in 1991, the constitution of Burkina Faso addresses the basic civil liberties of the people. The government has also ratified numerous UN treaties such as ICCPR and CEDAW.
The government has launched investigations into human rights breaches allegedly perpetrated in its name, including the deaths of over 200 men in Djibo which were believed to have been caused by pro-government security forces, although little information has been provided about the outcomes of such investigations. The Military Justice Directorate was established to investigate crimes committed by government forces, but is extremely underfunded.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Burkinabé government released 1200 detainees to prevent its spread in prisons. They also expanded the provision of learning through radio, television and online platforms in light of school closures to prevent coronavirus spreading. Efforts have also been made to implement more security at the country's schools to protect them from Islamist attacks.
Issues
Government forces Amnesty International noted concerns over the arbitrary arrest of protesters, and the failure to respect the principle of due process. In March 2020, government security forces were reported to have executed 23 people in Cissa; the following month, a further 31 detainees were killed hours after being arrested during a counterterrorism operation in Djibo. In May 2020, twelve men arrested by gendarmes in Tanwalbougou were subsequently found dead in their cells; it was reported that they had been shot. Security forces have also been reported to have physically abused Malian refugees seeking shelter in Burkina Faso under the guise of searching for Islamist terrorists in the country's refugee camps.
Militias Burkina Faso has long contained within it local militias known as Koglweogo, who are pro-government. Concerns have arisen around the militias, composed largely of the Mossi ethnic group, carrying out atrocities, including the massacre of forty men in Yirgou in 2019. In January 2020, legislation passed by the Burkinabé government subsumed the Koglweogo into the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDH), which receives official government support and training. Subsequently, members of the VDH have been accused of the murder of 19 men near Manja Hien in February 2020, and attacks on Peuhle villages in Yatenga, in which 43 people were killed.
Internationally, Burkinabé forces have also been accused of the extrajudicial killings of at least 50 people in cross border skirmishes in Mali in 2020.
Islamists An Islamist insurgency has been occurring in the country, with attacks against citizens being justified by insurgents by linking victims to the government, armed militias, the West, and Christianity. Massacres have notably been committed against the Mossi and Foulse ethnic groups, including the murder of 35 people in Arbinda in December 2019; the death of 90 villagers during separate attacks on Rofénèga, Nagraogo and Silgadji in January 2020; and over 40 villagers' deaths in attacks in Lamdamol and Pansi in February 2020. Islamist groups have also used improved explosive devices to target victims. Abduction has also been a common tactic; in July 2020 the village chief of Nassoumbou was abducted and held for two months; while in August 2020 Sonibou Cisse, the Grand Imam of Djibo, was executed days after being abducted.
Islamists have also targeted Burkina Faso's schools. Between January and August 2020, at least forty schools were burned and looted, and teachers have been killed, beaten, abducted, robbed, and threatened. Prior to the government closure of all Burkinabé schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, an estimated 2500 schools had already closed due to Islamist attacks and concerns around student safety, impacting 350, 000 students.
Historical situation The following chart shows Burkina Faso's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by US government funded Freedom House. A score of 1 is "most free" and 7 is "least free". Historical ratings YearPolitical RightsCivil LibertiesStatusPresident 197234 Partly Free Sangoulé Lamizana 197334Partly Free Sangoulé Lamizana 197464Partly FreeSangoulé Lamizana 197564Partly FreeSangoulé Lamizana 197655Partly FreeSangoulé Lamizana 197754Partly FreeSangoulé Lamizana 197823FreeSangoulé Lamizana 197923FreeSangoulé Lamizana 198065Partly FreeSangoulé Lamizana 198165Partly FreeSaye Zerbo 198265Partly FreeSaye Zerbo 198365Partly Free Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo 198475Not FreeThomas Sankara 198576Not FreeThomas Sankara 198676Not FreeThomas Sankara 198776Not FreeThomas Sankara 198876Not FreeBlaise Compaoré 198965Not FreeBlaise Compaoré 199065Not FreeBlaise Compaoré 199165Not FreeBlaise Compaoré 199255Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199354Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199454Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199554Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199654Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199754Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199854Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 199944Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200044Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200144Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200244Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200344Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200454Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200553Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200653Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200753Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200853Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 200953Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 201053Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 201153Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 201253Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 201353Partly FreeBlaise Compaoré 201463Partly FreeBlaise Campaoré
International treaties Burkina Faso's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows:
International treaties Treaty Organization Introduced Signed Ratified Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide United Nations1948-1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination United Nations1966-1974 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights United Nations1966-1999 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights United Nations1966-1999 First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights United Nations1966-1999 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity United Nations1968-- International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid United Nations197319761978 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women United Nations1979-1987 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment United Nations1984-1999 Convention on the Rights of the Child United Nations198919901990 Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty United Nations1989-- International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families United Nations199020012003 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women United Nations199920012005 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict United Nations200020012007 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography United Nations200020012006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations200620072009 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations20062009-2009 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance United Nations200620072009 Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights United Nations2008-- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure United Nations2011--
See also
Freedom of religion in Burkina Faso Human trafficking in Burkina Faso Internet censorship and surveillance in Burkina Faso LGBT rights in Burkina Faso Politics of Burkina Faso
Notes 1.Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on. 2.As of January 1. 3.The 1982 report covers the year 1981 and the first half of 1982, and the following 1984 report covers the second half of 1982 and the whole of 1983. In the interest of simplicity, these two aberrant "year and a half" reports have been split into three year-long reports through interpolation.
References
External links 2012 Annual Report, by Amnesty International Freedom in the World 2012 Report, by Freedom House