in one expression Mr Türk, who was released on Friday, said the authorities’ decision to investigate the deaths was encouraging, but added that it should be “quick, thorough, impartial and transparent”. “I have sent a letter to the Secretary of State underlining this very message,” the High Commissioner said. “The victims and their families are owed no less.”
The 28 bodies were found in the northwestern town of Nouna in the province of Kossi in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. According to local sources, the victims, who were all men, were killed as members of the Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP), armed auxiliaries of the Defense and Security Forces, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack on the city attack on the group’s military base last night by suspected members of the armed group Jamāʿat nuṣrat al-islām wal-muslimīn (JNIM).
Burkina Faso has been gripped by political instability for several years and its people have suffered a series of deadly terrorist attacks. The country’s severe humanitarian crisis has left more than a million people displaced from their homes, victims of ongoing conflict and poverty.
Opening its investigation on January 2, the interim government of Burkina Faso declared that it “rejects in principle any form of abuse or human rights violations on any ground” and reaffirmed its commitment to protect all civilians without discrimination.
Mr. Türk has previously raised concerns directly with the authorities about possible human rights risks related to the recruitment, arming and deployment of aid workers in Burkina Faso.
The statement noted the urgent need to strengthen their screening procedures, their pre-deployment training on international human rights and humanitarian law, their effective oversight by the security and defense forces, and to ensure inclusion and transparency during their recruitment.
