A further blow to media freedom in Burkina Faso has been dealt by the nation’s transitional military authorities, who have expelled two French journalists. Agnès Faivre, reporting for Libération, and Sophie Douce, a correspondent for Le Monde, were both ordered to leave the country despite holding valid visas and press accreditations.
Sources from both newspapers indicate that on March 31, national intelligence agents summoned and questioned the two journalists in Ouagadougou, the capital, regarding their reporting activities. Subsequently, they were given a mere 24 hours to exit the nation, with no official justification offered for their forced departure.
In an editorial, Libération asserted that the decision to remove its correspondent was “unjustified” and connected it directly to her March 27 investigative piece. That report focused on a video purportedly shot within a military barracks in Ouahigouya, Yatenga province, which showed the bodies of children lying on the ground, alongside individuals seemingly dressed in Burkinabè military uniforms. Le Monde, in turn, characterized these expulsions as “unacceptable,” expressing its unequivocal condemnation of this “arbitrary decision.”
This recent expulsion of two international journalists marks another event in a concerning pattern of restrictions on freedom of expression and media operations within Burkina Faso. Preceding this incident were the suspensions of the French international news television channel France 24 on March 27, and the French international radio broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI) on December 3, 2022. The Burkinabè government had accused both media outlets of spreading misinformation.
“The ruling junta is inflicting irreparable damage on freedom of expression throughout this nation,” stated Daouda Diallo, a highly regarded Burkinabè human rights advocate and recipient of the prestigious 2022 Martin Ennals Award. He emphasized, “Journalism is not a crime, and it should no longer be a perilous profession within Burkina Faso.”
Both local and international journalists and news organizations operating in Burkina Faso are currently experiencing an alarming surge in harassment, threats, and arbitrary detentions. This pattern reflects a transparent effort by the military junta to suppress independent and critical reporting across the nation.
Given that Burkina Faso is currently embroiled in an armed conflict against various Islamist armed groups, it is paramount that journalists are permitted to operate freely, devoid of any apprehension of reprisal. The transitional military authorities ought to revoke their expulsion order, allowing Agnès Faivre and Sophie Douce to re-enter the country. Above all, these authorities must remove any barriers that obstruct the essential work of journalists dedicated to informing and educating the people of Burkina Faso.
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