Burkina Faso: Journalists Forced to Enlist in Military

Journalists in Burkina Faso are facing an alarming new threat as they are being compelled to enlist in the military, according to Sadibou Marong, the West African director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), who spoke to the BBC.

Marong revealed on the Africa Daily podcast that journalists who dared to criticize the government are now being summoned to join the army.

He highlighted that the military-led government has previously acknowledged enrolling critics in the armed forces.

Moreover, Marong pointed out that the transitional assembly passed a law granting authorities the power to identify and coerce young individuals into military service.

According to Marong, two journalists he has been in contact with have received official summons to join the army. One of them complied and joined the army for a month, but later managed to escape near the border of Ivory Coast.

This development follows a recent crackdown on foreign media outlets, including the BBC, Guardian, and Le Monde, which were suspended for their coverage of a report by US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The report accused the Burkinabe army of killing 223 civilians in February, a claim that Burkina Faso authorities have vehemently denied.