Military conscription of critics in Burkina Faso draws global condemnation
In early July 2025, Burkina Faso authorities took a significant step by releasing five journalists and a human rights activist who had been illegally conscripted into the military. Their crime? Criticizing the ruling military junta. While their release is a positive development, it underscores a disturbing pattern: many others remain unaccounted for, some missing since 2024 with no trace.
Forced enlistment after media criticism
On March 24, 2024, in Ouagadougou, the capital, authorities arrested Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Phil Roland Zongo—all members of the Association des journalistes du Burkina (AJB)—alongside Luc Pagbelguem, a journalist from the private channel BF1. Their offense? Speaking out against the junta’s crackdown on press freedom. A month later, a video surfaced showing Sanogo, Ouoba, and Pagbelguem in military uniforms, confirming their forced conscription. Phil Roland Zongo’s enrollment was only publicly acknowledged upon his release.
Another journalist, Kalifara Séré of BF1 TV, vanished on June 18, 2024, after a tense meeting with the Conseil supérieur de la communication (CSC), Burkina Faso’s media regulator. The CSC had questioned Séré over doubts he raised about the authenticity of state-sponsored images. By October 2024, authorities admitted he had been conscripted—alongside Serge Oulon and Adama Bayala. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Human rights defenders targeted
Lamine Ouattara, a member of the Mouvement burkinabè des droits de l’homme et des peuples (MBDHP), was abducted from his home by plainclothes intelligence agents on November 29, 2023. Relatives later confirmed his illegal conscription. Human Rights Watch has documented how the junta exploits emergency laws to silence dissent, targeting journalists, activists, and even magistrates.
Legal obligations vs. authoritarian tactics
While governments have the right to conscript civilians for national defense, international law mandates transparency. Conscripts must be informed of service duration and given avenues to challenge their enrollment. Burkina Faso’s use of conscription as a punitive tool—rather than a civic duty—violates these principles, turning the military into an instrument of repression.
The junta must immediately release all remaining detainees and end the militarization of dissent. Until then, the safety of journalists and activists in Burkina Faso remains under grave threat.