Four vocal critics of Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta, who had been forcibly conscripted into fighting the country’s militant insurgency, have been released.
This development comes months after their abductions, which were widely seen as an attempt to silence dissenting voices by the regime that seized power in a 2022 coup.
Among those freed between Thursday and Sunday was journalist Kalifara Sere, who vanished in June 2024 from the capital, Ouagadougou.
Sere, a well-known commentator, had publicly questioned the authenticity of images depicting junta chief Captain Ibrahim Traoré following an incident near the presidential palace.
His family confirmed he is now well and resting.
Also released were Benoit Bassole, abducted in September 2024 after his exiled uncle faced accusations of plotting against the junta, and Marcel Imane, a German teacher kidnapped in March for criticizing the security situation.
Civil society figure James Yazid Dembele, who was abducted in January 2024 amid rumors of his torture, also regained his freedom.
A security source confirmed their release, stating it marked the “end of their conscription.”
Despite these releases, many other journalists and activists critical of the junta and Captain Traoré reportedly remain conscripted in the army.
Traoré’s 2022 coup was ostensibly aimed at curbing the decade-long militant violence.
However, atrocities by groups allied with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State continue to plague the nation.
Conflict monitor ACLED reports that over half of the 26,000 civilian and soldier deaths since 2015 have occurred in the last three years, highlighting the escalating conflict.