Burkina Faso’s communications regulatory body has called in the head of a major local newspaper, Observateur Paalga, and one of its journalists for questioning over a report on Mali. The hearing is set for Thursday, November 28.
The High Council for Communication (CSC) accuses the newspaper of publishing an article that allegedly violated journalistic ethics, professional conduct, and the law. The council, which includes jurists and journalists, is investigating the matter.
The article in question, titled “Malian Armed Forces: Loads of Generals,” discussed the recent promotion of high-ranking officials in Mali’s ruling junta. Last October, Mali’s junta leader elevated himself to a top military rank, while five other senior colonels were promoted to the rank of four-star generals in an exceptional move.
This incident follows a recent development in Mali, where the government cut the broadcast signal of Joliba TV News after a prominent opposition figure criticized Burkina Faso’s military leadership.
Journalists across the Sahel region are facing heightened security risks, according to a report from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released in September.
