TAEF calls on Burkina Faso to end campaign to silence critical journalists

The African Editors Forum (TAEF) is calling on the authorities in Burkina Faso to immediately end the campaign to silence critical journalists.

In a press release issued today September 1, 2024, following the issuance of a Situation Report on the Deteriorating State of Media Freedom in Western Africa, TAEF says it is greatly concerned with the state of press freedom in the Sahel region, with specific reference to Burkina Faso. TAEF is therefore calling on the military authorities to ensure the safety of all journalists and advocates of press freedom and of free speech.

TAEF, Africa’s premium editors’ guild representing editors and senior journalists, with the primary responsibility to defend media freedom and be the leading voice for media advocacy indicated that it has in the recent weeks engaged dozens of media stakeholders in the region, and from accounts on the ground, found that in Burkina Faso, under the watch of President Traore, a dire atmosphere prevails.

“There is an aggressive nationwide campaign to silence critical journalism and freedom of expression and kidnapping of journalists and human rights defenders. Journalists have been divided into two groups: ‘The Patriots’ – those who support the authorities and report favourably about it, and the ‘enemies of the state’ – those who criticize the government,” it said.

Commenting on the grave situation, TAEF President, Churchill Otieno said: “The atmosphere of fear that many journalists doing critical reporting have found themselves in is unacceptable and dents the spirit of the universal charter on press freedom and freedom of expression which are fundamental human rights enjoyed by all citizens and that which ought to be protected by the state.”

See below the Situation Report.