Barsalogho Massacre: How Defensive Trenches Became a Mass Grave

Bellingcat analyzes videos and satellite imagery to geolocate and verify a JNIM-led massacre near Barsalogho, Burkina Faso, where militants attacked civilians digging defensive trenches; imagery shows rapid trench expansion before and after the 24 Aug 2024 attack, with at least 124 bodies visible in footage and no weapons on victims. The report also debunks a widely shared video misattributed to Barsalogho, confirming it was filmed in Melgué, Mali, and notes conflicting casualty figures (UN ~200 dead, CJB up to 400, JNIM claims 300). It situates the event within JNIM’s wider pattern of abuses and the deteriorating security context under the Traoré government.