Burkinabe Armed Forces Filmed Torturing an Alleged ‘Infiltrated Fighter’

A video released today on a Russian mercenary-linked telegram channel named 'white guys in Africa' depicts an alleged 'infiltrated fighter' of the Burkinabe armed forces being pinned down and whipped by at least three men in military uniform. Other uniformed members are holding the man down with the crack of the whips echoing in the background..It is unclear if the video was filmed by a Russian mercenary themselves or the video obtained from a different source and then watermarked by the mercenary channel..The video confirms concerns first raised by UN Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in May. Turk noted a 71 percent increase in violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law compared to the previous six months. Moreover, 65 percent of the victims in these abuses were victims of unlawful killings..Additionally, the incident may have been brought about by a request on August 8th from Burkina Faso's Security Ministry to the populous to report on any suspicious individual, movement or activity..What You Need to Know.While the fate of the alleged infiltrator is currently unknown, it is unlikely he came away unharmed..As previously reported, the Security Ministry's request is likely to contribute to increased instances of 'punishment' such as this one..Currently, more than 40 percent of Burkina Faso's 22.67 million people live below the national poverty line. Successive coups evidence the lack of faith in governmental institutions, including the police and judiciary. According to the Organized Crime Index, the Municipal Police Force is viewed as the most corrupt public service in the country..With these points in mind, it becomes clear that calling on the populous of an impoverished nation ravaged by terrorism to report on their neighbors is likely to create a situation in which a civilian may report on a bitter rival with frivolous claims to end a feud, innocent civilians may be accused of being terrorist collaborators, and regional elites may attempt to unseat a competitor from power through the labeling of said individual as 'soft on the terrorist threat.'.The unusual methods of punishment also indicate the level of impunity in the country, specifically amongst the armed forces..Bringing back the nation's former motto "La Patrie Ou La Mort, Nous Vaincrons" (Fatherland or Death, We Will Win), this week, it seems the military junta of Captain Ibrahim Traore are abiding by the motto's prescriptions..In late July, a video emerged of a Burkinabe solider disembowelling the body of an alleged insurgent who had been decapitated..Earlier, in February, an investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that members of the Burkinabe armed forces summarily executed 233 civilians, including 56 children in Nondin and Soro villages in the country's northen Yatenga province..So, What Now?.As media and civil society organizations continue to face clampdowns in the country, coupled with the military's reliance on Russian equipment and training, it is likely incidents such as this one will increase. The 'media blackout' in the country is also making it increasingly difficult for adequate information to be collected on such incidents, creating an environment in which soldiers with low-level training tasked with carrying out unusual punishments face little backlash.