Burkina Faso has expanded its suspension of several international news outlets, some indefinitely, for their coverage of allegations regarding an army-led massacre of civilians.
The country’s communications regulator, CSC, announced additional suspensions over the weekend, broadening the list of affected media organizations.
Among the newly named outlets facing suspension are renowned publications such as France’s Le Monde, Britain’s The Guardian, Germany’s Deutsche Welle, and French broadcaster TV5 Monde.
These suspensions stem from their reporting on a statement by Human Rights Watch (HRW) accusing Burkina Faso’s soldiers of perpetrating revenge attacks on two villages on February 25, resulting in the deaths of at least 223 individuals.
The CSC’s directive, issued on Saturday, also included French regional newspaper Ouest-France, African website APAnews, and Swiss-based Agence Ecofin among the suspended outlets.
Earlier last week, the CSC had instructed internet service providers to block access to the BBC, VOA, and HRW websites within Burkina Faso for a two-week period.
Burkina Faso’s military leadership, dismissing the HRW report as “baseless,” emphasized that a legal inquiry into the alleged massacre is underway.
Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo criticized HRW for rushing to conclusions before the investigation could establish facts and perpetrators.
HRW characterized the massacre as one of the most severe instances of military abuse in Burkina Faso since 2015, suggesting a systematic campaign against civilians suspected of collaborating with Islamist armed groups, potentially constituting crimes against humanity.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned what it labeled as “serious and unjustified decisions” by the junta, emphasizing that reporting on security matters should not justify attacks on press freedom.
Burkina Faso’s statement denounced the media’s coverage of the allegations as an attempt to discredit the country’s armed forces. The government reiterated its commitment to investigating reported human rights violations in the context of counterterrorism efforts, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
These latest suspensions follow a series of similar actions taken since Captain Ibrahim Traore assumed power in September 2022. Under Traore’s leadership, Burkina Faso has pursued a course of distancing from its former colonial ruler, France, and has targeted several French media outlets.
The country continues to grapple with a jihadist insurgency that began in neighboring Mali in 2015, resulting in significant casualties and internal strife within the military.
