Burkina Faso journalists forced into military training spark press freedom concerns

Mandatory military immersion raises alarms among Burkina Faso’s press

Forty-four journalists in Burkina Faso have recently completed an unprecedented six-day military training program, dubbed a “patriotic immersion,” at the police academy in Pabré, just outside Ouagadougou. This compulsory initiative, imposed by the military-led government under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, targets both public and private media outlets as part of the broader war effort against jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which have been active in the country for over a decade.

A video shared on social media by the national broadcaster RTB showed the journalists—men and women—dressed in military fatigues and holding rifles during the training.

The Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, addressed the participants with a pointed question: “Will you be patriotic and professional journalists?” Standing at attention, the journalists responded in unison: “Affirmative.” The minister then emphasized: “A professional journalist who lacks patriotism poses a threat to the nation,” adding that “a professional and patriotic journalist who remains unengaged is merely a passive observer in a moment when his country’s history is being written.”

According to government officials, including Lassina Traoré, Director General of the Police Academy, the training aims to “immerse journalists in the operational realities and values that guide the nation’s defense and security forces daily.”

A controversial move drawing criticism from press freedom advocates

This government-led initiative has drawn swift condemnation from press freedom organizations. The move follows a pattern of increasing restrictions on media freedom under the current administration, which came to power in a 2022 coup d’état with the stated goal of reclaiming national sovereignty.

Sadibou Marong, Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at Reporters Without Borders (RSF), warned that the initiative sends a “new and deeply troubling signal” for press freedom. He stressed that journalists are not soldiers and should not be transformed into instruments of war, equipped in military uniforms and armed with rifles.

Broader political context and rising tensions

The mandatory military training for journalists is part of a wider political agenda with anti-Western undertones, framed as a campaign to restore national pride and self-reliance. Notably, a similar military immersion program was enforced last year for high school students sitting their final exams.

This forced integration of the press into military structures occurs amid escalating pressure on domestic and international media outlets. Several media organizations have faced abrupt suspension by transitional authorities, while human rights groups report that dozens of journalists critical of the junta have been forcibly conscripted and sent to combat zones. The case of journalist Serge Oulon, detained for two years after being abducted in Ouagadougou, underscores the tense climate facing media professionals in the country.