The Ministry of Defense of Burkina Faso has publicly condemned Radio France Internationale (RFI) for what it describes as “false and destabilising” reporting following the publication of an article alleging mass civilian killings by security forces.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the government denounced an RFI report published on Thursday, May 29, titled “Burkina Faso: More than 100 Civilians Killed in Several Villages in the North, Army and VDP Accused.” The article claimed that members of the Burkinabè Armed Forces and Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) were responsible for a massacre in the Sahel region, specifically in the communes of Dori and Gorgadji, on May 21.
The Minister of State and Minister of Defense refuted these allegations, stating that no credible or verifiable information supports the claims made in the article. The Ministry labelled the report as “grave and defamatory,” suggesting its intent was to undermine the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) image and create discord within the country.
The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting civilians and ensuring that all military operations respect human rights and international law and also urged the population to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to disinformation campaigns pushed by certain international media outlets.
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