Journalists and activist freed in Burkina Faso after illegal conscription

Burkina Faso releases detained journalists and activist following illegal military conscription

In early July 2025, authorities in Burkina Faso released five journalists and one human rights activist who had been forcibly conscripted into the military after criticizing the military junta. While this release marks a positive step, it starkly highlights that others remain missing, some since 2024, with no clues about their whereabouts.

Forced conscription sparks international concern

On March 24, 2024, in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, authorities arrested Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Phil Roland Zongo—three members of the Association des journalistes du Burkina (AJB)—along with Luc Pagbelguem, a journalist from the private television channel BF1. Their alleged crime? Speaking out against restrictions on freedom of expression imposed by the junta. By April 2, a video surfaced on social media showing Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Luc Pagbelguem in military uniforms, raising serious concerns about their conscription. Phil Roland Zongo’s conscription was only confirmed publicly upon his release.

On June 18, 2024, Kalifara Séré, a commentator for BF1 TV, disappeared after a meeting with members of the Conseil supérieur de la communication (CSC), the media regulatory authority in Burkina Faso. The CSC had questioned him about a comment expressing doubts regarding the authenticity of photographs depicting the head of state. In October 2024, authorities admitted that he, along with two other journalists—Serge Oulon and Adama Bayala—had been conscripted into the military. The current whereabouts of Serge Oulon and Adama Bayala remain unknown.

Human rights defenders targeted under emergency laws

On November 29, 2023, plainclothes individuals claiming to be from national intelligence services abducted Lamine Ouattara, a member of the Mouvement burkinabè des droits de l’homme et des peuples (MBDHP), from his home. Relatives later confirmed that he, too, had been forcibly conscripted.

Human Rights Watch has documented how the junta has systematically used emergency laws to conscript critics, journalists, human rights activists, and even magistrates as a means of silencing dissent. While governments retain the authority to conscript civilians for national defense, such conscription must adhere to transparency, including informing conscripts of their service duration and providing avenues to challenge their obligations.

Burkina Faso’s authorities must immediately release all remaining individuals unlawfully detained and cease the misuse of conscription to suppress media freedom and dissent.