BURKINA Faso’s communications authority has stirred controversy by suspending a slew of Western and African media outlets over their reporting on a damning Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigation. The move, announced on Sunday, comes in the wake of BBC Africa and Voice of America’s suspensions for covering the HRW report, which accused the Burkinabe military of executing about 223 villagers in February.
The communications council declared a two-week suspension of French television network TV5Monde’s broadcasts and blocked access to its website. Additionally, it revealed that the websites of prominent international media such as German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Le Monde, Ouest-France, British publication The Guardian, as well as African agencies APA and Ecofin, have been blocked indefinitely.
Efforts to obtain comments from the affected media groups were unsuccessful at the time of reporting, according to Reuters.
Burkinabe government spokesperson Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo rebuffed HRW’s allegations as ‘peremptory’ and insisted that authorities were actively investigating the alleged atrocities. Ouedraogo referred to a statement by a regional prosecutor on March 1, indicating that the reported killings prompted a judicial inquiry.
The context of the accusations against the Burkinabe military occurs within a broader regional context of violence. A decade-long conflict with Islamist groups affiliated with al Qaeda and Islamic State has exacerbated instability in the region. The situation worsened following successive military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger between 2020 and 2023.
Burkina Faso endured a significant surge in deadly attacks in 2023, with over 8,000 casualties reported, according to the US-based crisis-monitoring group ACLED. The suspension of media outlets amid these tumultuous circumstances raises concerns about press freedom and the ability to report on critical issues affecting the region.
As the international community closely monitors developments in Burkina Faso, the suspension of media outlets underscores the challenges faced in reporting on human rights violations and conflict zones, particularly in countries with limited press freedoms.