By Chucks Ekeke
Widespread condemnation has followed the appearance of three abducted Burkinabe journalists in military uniforms in a video circulated by the ruling junta.
Guézouma Sanogo and Boukari Ouoba, president and vice-president of the Association des Journalistes du Burkina, along with BF1 reporter Luc Pagbelguem, were shown wearing army fatigues and presented as new recruits in the country's counterterrorism campaign.
The
journalists were seized in separate incidents on March 24 and 25. Sanogo and
Ouoba were taken from the Norbert Zongo Press Center in Ouagadougou, while
Pagbelguem was abducted following his coverage of a press association congress.
The military government dissolved the journalists' association the following
day, claiming it lacked proper legal status, a move disputed by media rights
organizations.
The
International Federation of Journalists and its African affiliate have strongly
condemned the forced conscription, calling it an unprecedented attack on press
freedom. FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman described the incident as one of the
darkest moments for African journalism, while IFJ General Secretary Anthony
Bellanger called the actions illegal and immoral.
Since
coming to power in a 2022 coup, Captain Ibrahim Traoré's government has faced
repeated accusations of suppressing dissent and restricting civil liberties.
The latest development has prompted calls for intervention from regional bodies
including ECOWAS and the African Union, with demands for the journalists'
immediate release and restoration of their professional association.
The
incident has raised concerns among press freedom advocates about a potential
escalation in the junta's crackdown on independent media and the establishment
of a dangerous precedent for journalist treatment in the region. International
observers warn the situation could further isolate Burkina Faso diplomatically
as the country continues to grapple with security challenges and political
instability.
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