AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2016/17

ABUSES BY ARMED GROUPS
Throughout the year, armed groups attacked
civilians and members of the security forces,
in the capital, Ouagadougou, and in the north
near the Malian border.
In January, an armed group deliberately
and indiscriminately killed and injured
civilians in an attack in Ouagadougou. Al-
Mourabitoune, a group affiliated to Al-Qa’ida
in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed
responsibility. At least 30 people were killed,
including a photographer and a driver
working on behalf of Amnesty International.
In May, June, October and December, the
authorities announced that armed groups
had attacked police stations near the Malian
border, killing 21 people in total and
wounding others.
Self-defence militia called “Kogleweogo”,
mainly comprising farmers and cattle
breeders, committed abuses, including
beatings and abductions. Civil society
organizations criticized the authorities for
doing too little to prevent and remedy such
abuses. The Minister of Justice pledged to
end the militias’ activities. In October, a
decree was adopted to regulate their
activities.
In September, four Kogleweogo members
charged in relation to an armed gathering
were sentenced to six months in prison, while
26 others were given suspended sentences
of between 10 and 12 months.
IMPUNITY
In July, the UN Human Rights Committee
stressed that the government should
redouble its efforts to fully and impartially
investigate all human rights violations
committed by armed forces, including the
Presidential Guard (RSP), sanction those
found guilty and provide remedy to the
victims.
The Commission of Inquiry established in
2015 to investigate the killing of at least 10
people and the wounding of hundreds by
security forces in October 2014 submitted its
report to the Prime Minister. The
Commission’s conclusions were not made
public.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights stated that women in rural
areas were particularly disadvantaged
regarding economic, social and cultural
rights. The Committee recommended that
Burkina Faso revise its legislation on the
prevention and punishment of violence
against women and girls, and provide more
support to survivors. It also recommended
that all acts of rape by spouses be punished
and that the reporting of such offences be
encouraged.
In July, the UN Human Rights Committee
noted that more women should have
positions in public office.
Sexual and reproductive rights
Only 16% of women in Burkina Faso were
using a modern method of contraception and
nearly 30% of girls and young women aged
15-19 in rural areas were pregnant or already
had a child. Some women and girls reported
that they did not know that sexual intercourse
could lead to pregnancy. Many said the cost
of contraceptives prevented their use or
meant they did not use them consistently.
These factors resulted in high-risk and
unwanted pregnancies that sometimes led to
dangerous, clandestine abortions. 1
At least 2,800 women die in childbirth
annually in Burkina Faso. In March, the
authorities removed some key financial
barriers facing pregnant women, including
costs relating to caesarean sections and
delivery.
Early and forced marriage
Burkina Faso had one of the world’s highest
rates of early and forced marriage. Women
and girls reported that they were forced to
marry as a result of violence, coercion and
the pressure linked to the money and goods
offered to their families as part of the
marriage. In the Sahel region, more than half
of girls aged 15-17 were married.
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