Burkina Faso’s military junta has suspended U.S.-funded news organization Voice of America (VOA) for three months, citing concerns over the media outlet’s coverage of the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region. The decision, announced by the Superior Council for Communication (CSC), underscores the increasingly hostile stance the junta has adopted towards international media, particularly those that are critical of its handling of the ongoing insurgency.
The CSC accused VOA of undermining morale among Burkinabé and Malian troops after airing a controversial report on September 19. During a broadcast, a VOA reporter described a jihadist attack in Bamako as “courageous,” criticized security operations in the region, and cited an unverified death toll from an attack in Burkina Faso. These comments, according to the CSC, were harmful to the military’s efforts to combat the insurgency, which has plagued the region since 2012, claiming thousands of lives and displacing millions.
The suspension marks the latest action by Burkina Faso’s government against international media outlets. The junta, which seized power in a September 2022 coup, has grown increasingly intolerant of criticism, particularly regarding its handling of Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Despite pledges to prioritize security and address the insurgency, the junta has struggled to stem the violence, which continues to destabilize large parts of the country.
In response to the controversy surrounding VOA, the CSC has imposed additional restrictions on local media. A private radio station that broadcast the contentious VOA report has been barred from airing content produced by international media. Furthermore, the CSC has suspended the synchronization of all national media with international sources until further notice. These measures effectively isolate Burkina Faso’s media landscape from foreign influence, signaling the junta’s desire to control the narrative around the ongoing conflict.
VOA has not yet issued an official response to its suspension, but the move is part of a broader pattern of media crackdowns in the Sahel region. Earlier this year, in April, Burkina Faso’s government temporarily suspended the broadcasts of several international media outlets, including VOA, BBC Africa, and other channels, accusing them of sensationalizing reports about human rights abuses committed by the military. These outlets were targeted following their coverage of a Human Rights Watch report that alleged extrajudicial killings by Burkinabé forces. The government’s response was swift, suspending the broadcasters for two weeks and intensifying its grip on the flow of information.
This recent suspension of VOA follows another significant crackdown on international media. The CSC recently revoked the frequencies of France’s Radio France Internationale (RFI) without providing a clear explanation. The move came amid rising anti-French sentiment in Burkina Faso and across the Sahel, where former colonial power France has been criticized for its military involvement and perceived influence over regional politics.
As Burkina Faso continues to grapple with the twin challenges of insurgency and political instability, the junta’s actions reflect a broader regional trend of military governments asserting control over media and dissenting voices. The coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years have been partly fueled by frustrations over the governments’ inability to protect civilians from Islamist militants. However, the military regimes that replaced them have adopted increasingly repressive measures, stifling free expression and curtailing media freedoms.
While Burkina Faso’s government insists that these measures are necessary to protect national security and maintain public order, critics argue that they represent an alarming erosion of democratic principles. As international media outlets are sidelined and the flow of information is restricted, the junta’s capacity to govern effectively and maintain the trust of its citizens remains uncertain.
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