Since seizing power in September 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré has overseen Burkina Faso through a deepening security crisis. In this volatile climate, several journalists and civil society members claim they fled the country to escape coercive measures or perceived arbitrary actions targeting their work.

In Côte d’Ivoire, home to a large Burkinabè diaspora, three journalists and a legal professional recount their abrupt, sometimes covert departures and the lingering uncertainty of their future.

Defying threats to keep informing the public

Each of them left Burkina Faso fearing forced conscription into the military or retaliation linked to their professional activities. One now practices journalism under a pseudonym, while another mentors young investigative reporters. Several also describe receiving online threats and live with constant anxiety about being tracked, even from abroad.

International human rights groups have previously condemned the use of general mobilization decrees against dissenting voices within the regime. Authorities in Burkina Faso have yet to address these testimonies.

A return dependent on political and security progress

For these exiles, Côte d’Ivoire serves as a sanctuary. While they all hope to return to Burkina Faso someday, they insist the decision hinges on tangible improvements in the country’s political and security landscape. Their experiences highlight the struggles faced by journalists and opposition figures over the past four years—a period marked by a persistent jihadist insurgency that has afflicted the nation for over a decade.