Abidjan – Two journalists in Burkina Faso who had been detained under controversial anti-terrorism laws have been released, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday, a few days after two others were let go.
The military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, in power since a coup in September 2022, is accused of using a mobilization decree to forcibly enrol critics into the army to fight jihadist rebels.
Luc Pagbelguem and Boukari Ouoba, two of the many journalists who spoke against the military government in Ouagadougou were forcibly conscripted and sent to the frontlines, where they spent the last 4 months, they have now returned to their families. pic.twitter.com/PIPClzeYYo
— Brant (@brantphilip1978) July 22, 2025
Guezouma Sanogo, head of the Association of Burkina Faso Journalists (AJB), and Phil Roland Zongo, from radio station Femina FM, were released and returned to their families Monday evening, after spending four months in the military, RSF said in a statement.
They had both been arrested in March in a crackdown on journalists who had protested limits on freedom of the press in the country.
Last week, two other detained reporters – Guezouma Sanogo, vice president of the AJB, and Luc Pagbelguem – were released, but RSF says there are still at least two remaining journalists forcibly enrolled at the front.
As part of the same crackdown, dozens of military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, were also arrested for “conspiracy” or “attempting to destabilize republican institutions”.
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Source: AFP
