At 36, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, adorned with freshly minted captain’s insignia, presides over a presidential palace he did not secure through electoral victory—elections having been conveniently abolished. This political maneuver eliminates the need to appeal to voters, shifting the focus instead to direct engagement with journalists.

From the opulent Koulouba palace, Traoré recently addressed a panel of six journalists, delivering a two-hour monologue of progress. He asserted that the military was successfully reclaiming territory, industrial sectors were flourishing, gold reserves were accumulating, infrastructure projects like highways were expanding, and the people of Burkina Faso enjoyed unprecedented freedom. The narrative painted was one of unblemished success.

The disturbing counter-narrative

However, this optimistic presentation was immediately overshadowed by a comprehensive 351-page report released by Human Rights Watch. Titled “No One Will Escape,” the document meticulously compiled testimonies, satellite imagery, and lists of the deceased. It detailed the killing of 1,837 civilians over two and a half years, attributing these deaths to various actors: the national army, local VDP militias, and JNIM jihadist groups. Crucially, the report highlighted a systematic pattern of killings by state-affiliated forces, often involving drone surveillance and explicit orders from above.

The findings included allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the ethnic targeting of the Fulani community. Specific incidents cited were the summary executions of 223 civilians, including 56 children, in Nondin in February 2024; hundreds of deaths in Baraboulé in December 2023; and the massacre of 130 Fulani individuals near Solenzo in March 2025. The report presented compelling evidence through mass graves, survivor accounts, and satellite data, challenging any dismissals as mere Western conspiracies.

‘Reclaimed’ territories built on tragedy

Ironically, some of the very towns Traoré proudly announced as