Burkina Faso’s Junta Intensifies Crackdown on Media Freedom
Burkina Faso's media regulator has suspended French broadcaster TV5Monde, accusing the outlet of "disinformation" and "apology for terrorism". The suspension follows reporting on the insurgencies in Burkina Faso and neighboring Mali, including coverage of escalating insecurity and alleged rights violations by government security forces.
Human Rights Watch has said the ban is part of a broader campaign to silence dissent.
InFocus
-
The military government has intensified its crackdown on civil society. It has dissolved 118 organizations, many of which are engaged in human rights work. The authorities cited a July 2025 law on freedom of association but offered no justification beyond vague allusions to noncompliance.
The military government's action reflects a broader pattern of repression that began after the military seized power in
Read more »
-
The military junta in the country has continued its crackdown on foreign media institutions following an initial suspension of the BBC and the Voice of America over their coverage of a Human Rights Watch report about an alleged massacre by the army. The latest media to be suspended include Deutsche Welle, TV5 Monde, Le Monde, and The Guardian.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the bans, saying they
Read more »
Palais Kosyam, the presidential palace in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 2013.
