Burkina Faso rejects 'baseless accusations' that soldiers massacred 223 villagers - BBC News

Human Rights Watch says at least 56 children were killed by soldiers in Soro village.

3 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPImage caption, A military convoy with over 100 soldiers descended on the villages, survivors said (file photo)By Alex BinleyBBC NewsBurkina Faso has rejected "baseless accusations" that soldiers massacred 223 people in attacks in February.

A Human Rights Watch report alleged the army killed 179 people in Soro village and 44 others in Nondin, at least 56 of who were children, on 25 February.

The NGO said this was "among the worst army abuse" incidents in the country in nearly a decade.

Burkinabè authorities said they had opened a legal inquiry to "establish the facts" and condemned HRW's report.

"The government of Burkina Faso strongly rejects and condemns such baseless accusations," communications minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo said in a statement late on Saturday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68915060

---