Countries › Burkina Faso › May 2026
Burkina Faso: conflict events in May 2026
Monthly report from UCDP event data.
In May 2026, UCDP recorded 59 organized-violence events in Burkina Faso, with 134 estimated deaths. That is -22% compared with 76 events the month before. The death toll range is 134 to 226.
90% of the month's events were state-based armed conflict. Civilian deaths: 2.
Events were concentrated in Yaadga region (13), Kuilsé region (11), Nakambé region (7).
The most active pairing was Government of Burkina Faso - JNIM with 51 events.
Where events happened
Regions, May 2026
| Region | Events | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Yaadga region | 13 | 33 |
| Kuilsé region | 11 | 13 |
| Nakambé region | 7 | 13 |
| Soum region | 5 | 37 |
| Goulmou region | 5 | 12 |
| Sirba region | 5 | 11 |
| Liptako region | 4 | 0 |
| Bankui region | 3 | 3 |
| Guiriko region | 2 | 1 |
| Sourou region | 1 | 5 |
Deadliest events, May 2026
| Date | Where | Parties | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 May 2026 | Karo-Peli province Soum region | IS vs JNIM Non-state, 2 sources | 30 |
| 22 May 2026 | Loroum province Yaadga region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based, 3 sources | 12 |
| 25 May 2026 | Koulpélogo province Nakambé region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based | 9 |
| 8 May 2026 | Loroum province Yaadga region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based, 3 sources | 8 |
| 25 May 2026 | Kompienga province Goulmou region | Government of Benin vs JNIM State-based, 8 sources | 7 7–15 |
| 1 May 2026 | Sourou province Sourou region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based | 5 |
| 26 May 2026 | Namentenga province Kuilsé region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based, 3 sources | 4 |
| 24 May 2026 | Djelgodji province Soum region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based | 4 |
| 23 May 2026 | Gnagna province Sirba region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based | 4 |
| 19 May 2026 | Sandbondtenga province Kuilsé region | Government of Burkina Faso vs JNIM State-based | 4 |
Parties
| Party | Events |
|---|---|
| JNIM | 58 |
| Government of Burkina Faso | 52 |
| IS | 5 |
| Government of Benin | 1 |
Type of violence
| Category | Events |
|---|---|
| State-based | 53 |
| Non-state | 4 |
| One-sided | 2 |
All months
Monthly reports:Jul 2026Jun 2026May 2026Apr 2026Mar 2026Feb 2026Jan 2026Dec 2025Nov 2025Oct 2025Sep 2025Aug 2025Jul 2025Jun 2025May 2025Apr 2025Mar 2025Feb 2025Jan 2025Dec 2024Nov 2024Oct 2024Sep 2024Aug 2024Jul 2024
Source: UCDP GED and Candidate Events, CC BY 4.0. Counts use the "best" fatality estimate. See methodology.