Burkina Faso journalists face forced military training amid security crisis

In a move that has sparked widespread debate, over forty journalists from Burkina Faso recently completed an unprecedented six-day military training program described as a ‘patriotic immersion’ exercise. Organized by the Ministry of Security at the Police Academy in Pabré, situated roughly 20 kilometers from Ouagadougou, the initiative was made compulsory for both public and private media professionals by the military authorities led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

This decision aligns with the government’s declared war effort against armed groups linked to Al-Qaïda and the Islamic State, which have been wreaking havoc across Burkina Faso for more than a decade. A video shared on social media by the national broadcaster RTB captured the journalists—44 in total, both men and women—donning military fatigues and holding rifles during the training.

The Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, addressed the participants with a pointed question: ‘Will you be patriotic and professional journalists?’ Standing at attention, the journalists responded in unison: ‘Affirmative.’ The minister went on to emphasize that ‘a professional journalist who lacks patriotism poses a threat to the nation,’ adding that ‘a professional and patriotic journalist who remains uninvolved is merely a passive observer in a moment when the most defining chapters of their country’s history are being written.’

According to officials, the primary goal of the training—highlighted by Lassina Traoré, Director-General of the Police Academy—is to ‘immerse journalists in the operational realities and guiding values of the defense and security forces on a daily basis.’

However, the initiative has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom advocates. Sadibou Marong, Director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for Sub-Saharan Africa, condemned the move, stating that it sends ‘a new and deeply troubling signal for press freedom.’ He further argued that ‘journalists are not soldiers, nor should they be turned into mouthpieces for war efforts, dressed in military uniforms and armed.’

This mandatory military immersion for journalists is part of a broader political agenda pursued by Captain Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup. The stated objective of this agenda is to reclaim national sovereignty, with an overtly anti-Western stance. Notably, a similar military training requirement was imposed last year on high school students preparing for their final exams.

The forced enrollment of journalists into military training occurs against a backdrop of intensifying pressure on both local and international media outlets in Burkina Faso. Numerous media organizations have faced outright suspensions by the transitional authorities, while human rights groups report that dozens of journalists critical of the junta have been forcibly conscripted and sent to the front lines. The case of journalist Serge Oulon, who remains detained two years after being abducted in Ouagadougou, serves as a stark reminder of the tense environment facing the press in the country.