Burkina Faso junta distances military from videos showing soldiers mutilating civilian body

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) - Burkina Faso's General Staff has distanced the military from videos circulating on social media that show soldiers and volunteer officers allegedly mutilating the body of a civilian.

“For the past few days, unbearable images of extreme cruelty have been circulating on social networks. In these images, individuals purportedly affiliated with the defense and security forces, as well as volunteers for the defense of the homeland, are seen mutilating a human body,” read a statement from the Armed Forces Communications and Public Relations Department.

The General Staff, representing a West African country plagued by terrorism since 2015, condemned the videos as “macabre, contrary to military and moral values, and against the rules of engagement of combatants in the fight against terrorism.”

The statement emphasized that the army disassociates itself from such inhumane practices, which tarnish the reputation of its forces engaged in the national defense.

The army also announced that it has initiated efforts to identify the source of the images and the individuals involved.

One video, which surfaced last week on X, depicted soldiers in uniform disemboweling a victim while speaking in the local Moore language, according to Burkinabe media.