Three Burkinabe journalists who were arrested earlier this week have been released, while two others remain in custody, according to reports from their media outlets. The arrests come under the military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, which seized power in a September 2022 coup and has faced repeated criticism for crackdowns on dissent and forced mobilization of citizens to fight jihadist groups.
The private daily Aujourd’hui (Today) reported that its publishing director, Zowenmanogo Dieudonne Zoungrana, detained at his home by National Intelligence Agency (ANR) agents on Tuesday, was freed on Wednesday. Similarly, Ousseni Ilboudo, editorial director of L’Observateur Paalga, and Michel Nana, who had been detained earlier in the week, were also released.
However, two journalists remain under questioning: Lamine Traore, founder of the online media platform Burkina Yawana, and Jean-Marie Toe, editor-in-chief of the state-owned Sidwaya daily. Both had participated in an interview with Captain Traore marking three years since the coup, which reportedly prompted an investigation into leaked coverage of the interview prior to its televised broadcast on September 28.
Burkina Faso’s junta has previously been accused of targeting journalists, civil society leaders, and political figures through abductions and forced enlistments. In recent months, authorities had released roughly a dozen individuals who were previously detained or forcibly mobilized.
Additionally, concerns persist regarding the disappearance of three Burkinabe appeals’ court magistrates, missing since Friday and believed to have been abducted, according to a judicial source.
The release of the three journalists is a temporary relief, but the ongoing detentions and lack of official statements continue to draw international attention to Burkina Faso’s press freedom and human rights record.
