Burkina Faso Suspends BBC and VOA Over Report Alleging Military Abuses
Recently, Burkina Faso made headlines by suspending the radio networks BBC and Voice of America (VOA) for their coverage of a report that accused the Burkinabe army of executing civilians. The report, released by Human Rights Watch (HRW), detailed the alleged summary execution of 223 individuals, including 56 children, by Burkina Faso’s military forces in two villages in February.
Reasons Behind the Suspension
The Superior Council for Communication of Burkina Faso justified the suspension by pointing to the disinformation and potential harm to the army’s reputation caused by the BBC and VOA broadcasts. They criticized the content of the report for its lack of tangible evidence and its one-sided accusations against the Burkinabe army.
HRW Report on Military Abuses
According to HRW, the mass killings described in the report represent some of the worst army abuses in Burkina Faso since 2015. The report highlighted separate incidents in Nondin village and Soro village, where soldiers allegedly killed a total of 223 people, including 56 children.
Previous Media Censorship in Burkina Faso
This is not the first instance of media censorship in Burkina Faso. In 2023, the government suspended France 24 broadcasts for featuring a clip of Abou Obeida Youssef al-Annabi, the self-proclaimed leader of the Islamist armed group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
It’s worth noting that Burkina Faso is currently under military rule, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, who took power in a coup in September 2022. This followed a previous coup that ousted President Roch Marc Kabore eight months earlier.
