Ouagadougou: Burkina Faso is facing growing international criticism after fresh allegations emerged regarding the detention and mistreatment of journalists and civilians under the country’s military-led administration.
According to a report released by Reporters Without Borders, prominent investigative journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of the newspaper L’Evenement, was allegedly abducted from his residence in Ouagadougou in June 2024 by armed men dressed in civilian clothing.
Shortly after his disappearance, authorities linked to the country’s ruling military administration publicly stated that Oulon had been conscripted into military service. However, testimonies collected by the media rights organization reportedly present a very different account.
Former detainees interviewed during the investigation alleged that Oulon and several other individuals were secretly held inside a heavily guarded residence in the capital. Witnesses described the location as an unofficial detention facility where prisoners were allegedly kept in extremely harsh conditions.
According to those testimonies, detainees were forced to sleep on bare floors without bedding and were at times denied proper access to clean drinking water. Some witnesses claimed prisoners had to rely on water from restroom facilities, while others alleged that guards physically assaulted detainees using ropes and tree branches.
The organization estimated that as many as 40 individuals may have been confined at the site during late 2025, although the current whereabouts of Oulon remain unknown.
Reporters Without Borders said it shared details of its findings with Burkina Faso’s authorities prior to publication but had not received an official response.
The group further alleged that Oulon had faced increasing pressure from the ruling administration since 2022 after publishing reports accusing a military officer of financial misconduct and embezzlement. The organization has called for his immediate release and urged authorities to clarify his legal status.
The report also raised concerns about the possible involvement of individuals close to the ruling military leadership. Former detainees reportedly claimed that a security official associated with junta leader Ibrahim Traoré personally addressed prisoners before some were released, warning them against speaking publicly about their experiences.
Burkina Faso has been under military rule since Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a 2022 coup. Since then, international organizations and human rights groups have repeatedly voiced concern over increasing restrictions on political dissent, media freedom and civil liberties.
Advocacy groups say journalists, activists and government critics have faced mounting pressure amid the country’s ongoing fight against armed Islamist insurgencies. Independent media outlets have reportedly encountered suspensions and operational limitations, while some critics have allegedly been forced into military service.
Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch warned that the political environment in Burkina Faso had become increasingly restrictive, contributing to widespread fear and limiting independent reporting across the country.
The latest allegations are expected to intensify international scrutiny of Burkina Faso’s human rights record as concerns continue to grow over press freedom and the treatment of journalists during a period of prolonged political instability in the West African nation.
