Burkina Faso imposes military training on journalists
More than 40 journalists in Burkina Faso have undergone a military-style “patriotism” training programme imposed by the country’s authoritarian military junta.
Burkina Faso, along with several neighbouring countries, has faced more than a decade of deadly attacks by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
Since Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power in a 2022 coup, the military-led government has required both public and private media organisations to take part in an annual “patriotic immersion” programme.
“This initiative is a new and deeply worrying signal for press freedom,” Sadibou Marong, sub-Saharan Africa bureau director at Reporters Without Borders, told AFP on Friday.
“Journalists are not soldiers and should not be turned into mouthpieces for the war effort, dressed in military uniforms and carrying weapons,” he said.
Since last year, high-school students sitting their final examinations have also been required to undergo similar military-style training.
Traore has pursued policies focused on domestic self-reliance and opposition to Western influence, saying they are aimed at restoring Burkina Faso’s national sovereignty.
The authorities have suspended numerous media outlets, while rights groups say dozens of journalists critical of the junta have been forcibly conscripted and deployed to the frontline.
The six-day training programme for journalists was organised by the security ministry and held at a police academy near the capital, Ouagadougou, according to the government.
A total of 44 journalists, both men and women, took part.
In a video posted on social media by state broadcaster RTB, Communication Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo addressed journalists dressed in military fatigues and carrying rifles.
“Are you going to be patriotic and professional journalists?” Ouedraogo asked.
“Affirmative,” they responded in unison while standing at attention.
“A professional journalist who is not a patriot is a threat to their country,” Ouedraogo added. He also serves as the government’s spokesperson.
