“Their War Against Education”: Armed group attacks on teachers, students, and schools in Burkina Faso

Between 2017 and 2020, Human Rights Watch documented 126 attacks on students, education professionals, and schools in Burkina Faso. Armed groups have intimidated students, terrorized parents into keeping their children out of school, and killed, abducted, brutalized, or threatened teachers. These attacks and the fear they generate in combination with worsening insecurity in Burkina Faso have resulted in a cascade of school closures across the country, undermining children’s right to education.

This report provides an overview of the attacks on education in Burkina Faso between 2017 and 2020. It also presents recommendations for relevant actors.