Armed militants are holding at least 46 locations across Burkina Faso under siege, abducting women and preventing access to food and water.
The tactic was effected last year by the armed groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups, according to the Amnesty International.
Armed groups prevent the besieged populations from getting access to "food, drinkable water and health services, forcing people to displace," the rights group said in a report on Thursday.
Checkpoints are set up on main exit routes, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) laid to limit traffic and occasional attacks carried out against civilians, soldiers and supply convoys.
Thousands killed
"Amnesty International collected information on cases of abductions of women by armed groups in the context of besieged localities," the report stated.
Burkina Faso saw militant insurgents sweep in from Mali in 2015. More than 17,000 people have died in attacks since then, with 6,000 killed in 2023, according to statistics by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
The northern Sahel and western Boucle du Mouhoun regions have been particularly affected. Nearly two million people have been forced to flee their homes.
Mali underwent two coups last year, both triggered in part by discontent at failures to stem insurgency. Some 373 health centres were closed in June due to the conflict, affecting medical access for 3.5 million people.
