Two World's Giant Media Houses 'BLOCKED' from Reporting News in Burkina Faso

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – Burkina Faso's media regulator, the Superior Council for Communication (CSC), has imposed a two-week suspension on BBC Afrique and Voice of America (VOA) following their broadcast of a report by Human Rights Watch.

The report accused the Burkina Faso military of committing abuses against civilians. In addition to the suspension of these media outlets, the CSC has also restricted access within Burkina Faso to the websites and digital platforms of BBC, VOA, and Human Rights Watch.

The state-owned news agency, Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB), reported that the BBC and VOA were instructed via telephone to immediately cease rebroadcasting the offending program across all platforms.

The CSC has issued a stern warning to all local media outlets, threatening sanctions against those who disseminate the article.

VOA responded to the suspension by affirming its commitment to its journalistic duties. An article published by VOA on Friday stated, "VOA stands by its reporting about Burkina Faso and intends to continue to fully and fairly cover activities in the country."

The Human Rights Watch report, published on Thursday, alleged that the Burkina Faso military executed at least 223 civilians on February 25 in the northern part of the country.

This is not the first instance of Burkina Faso clamping down on international media; in December 2023, the West African nation suspended the French daily Le Monde for biased reporting.

Throughout the last year, the government has also suspended other international media entities including Jeune Afrique, La Chaîne Info (LCI), and France24.

These actions reflect ongoing tensions between Burkina Faso's government and international media over coverage of the country's internal affairs, particularly relating to allegations of human rights violations.

The situation underscores the challenges faced by the media in reporting on sensitive issues in regions experiencing political instability and conflict.