Forty-four Burkinabè journalists recently completed a six-day military training program described as a ‘patriotic immersion,’ organized by the Ministry of Security at the Pabré Police Academy, roughly 20 kilometers from Ouagadougou. This unprecedented mandate, enforced by the military-led government under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, applies to both public and private media outlets and aligns with the junta’s declared war effort against jihadist factions linked to Al-Qaïda and the Islamic State, which have plagued Burkina Faso for over a decade.
A video shared on social media by the public broadcaster RTB depicted the journalists—men and women—dressed in military fatigues and holding rifles during the session.
Minister of Communication and government spokesperson Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo addressed the group, asking, “Will you be patriotic and professional journalists?” Standing at attention, the journalists responded in unison: “Affirmative.” He emphasized, “A professional journalist who is not patriotic poses a threat to the nation,” and added, “A professional and patriotic journalist who remains unengaged is merely a passive observer at a time when the nation’s history is being written.”
According to officials, including Lassina Traoré, Director General of the Police Academy, the training aims to “immerse journalists in the operational realities and values that guide the nation’s defense and security forces daily.”
Human rights advocates swiftly condemned the initiative. The move has raised serious alarms about press freedom, with critics arguing that journalists should not be drafted into military roles or coerced into supporting wartime narratives.
This policy is part of a broader political strategy under Captain Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup with the stated goal of reclaiming national sovereignty. Notably, a similar military training requirement was imposed last year on high school students preparing for final exams.
The forced enrollment of journalists coincides with heightened restrictions on domestic and international media. Several outlets have faced abrupt suspensions, while human rights groups report that scores of critical reporters have been forcibly conscripted and sent to the front lines. The case of journalist Serge Oulon, still detained two years after his abduction in Ouagadougou, underscores the escalating tensions.