Two journalists who had been detained under controversial anti-terrorism laws in Burkina Faso were released Tuesday, according to an official statement from Reporters Without Borders.
This welcome development follows the release of two other reporters just a few days prior, who were also forcibly enlisted into the army’s ranks.
The ruling military junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore since his September 2022 coup, faces accusations of forcibly enrolling critics into the army to fight rebels.
Guezouma Sanogo, the respected head of the Association of Burkina Faso Journalists, and Phil Roland Zongo from radio station Femina FM were both released on Monday evening.
They returned to their families after spending four months enduring forced military service, a measure used against those who protest the government’s policies.
The two journalists were originally arrested in March as part of a widespread government crackdown on professionals protesting against limits on freedom of the press.
Last week, two other detained reporters, namely Guezouma Sanogo, vice president of the AJB, and Luc Pagbelguem, were also granted their freedom.
Reporters Without Borders states there are still at least two journalists who remain forcibly enrolled at the front lines, facing the dangers of ongoing conflicts.
As part of the same broad crackdown, dozens of military officers were arrested for “conspiracy” or “attempting to destabilize republican institutions.”
Among those arrested was former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, highlighting the military junta’s aggressive suppression of dissent within its own ranks.