Burkina Faso’s War on Jihadists Brings Journalists Into Military Training — and Sparks Press-Freedom Fears
Burkina Faso’s military-led government has introduced mandatory military-style “patriotism” training for journalists, requiring media workers from both public and private outlets to undergo a programme intended to strengthen national commitment amid the country’s prolonged fight against jihadist groups.
The first group of 44 journalists — including men and women — completed a six-day training programme at a police academy near the capital, Ouagadougou. Images from the programme showed participants wearing military fatigues and handling rifles during some of the exercises.
The government says the programme is part of a broader effort to promote patriotism and national solidarity as Burkina Faso battles an insurgency that has persisted for more than a decade. The conflict involves armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, and has caused widespread civilian displacement and insecurity.
The training has nevertheless raised serious concerns among press-freedom and human-rights organisations.
Critics argue that journalists should not be militarised or expected to function as extensions of the security forces. They warn that placing reporters in military-style training could blur the distinction between independent journalism and government information operations, particularly in a country where authorities have tightened restrictions on the media.
The concerns are heightened by reports that some journalists who have criticised the military authorities have been forcibly conscripted into the armed forces and deployed to conflict zones.
Burkina Faso has been governed by a military junta since Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a September 2022 coup. His government has made the fight against jihadist insurgents and the mobilisation of civilians central to its political agenda.
The authorities have also increasingly promoted what they describe as patriotic mobilisation, including the recruitment and training of civilian volunteers to support the national armed forces.
In 2024, the government suspended several international news organisations and accused foreign media of publishing reports that could undermine national security. Authorities also restricted access to some conflict areas.
Press-freedom organisations have repeatedly warned that such measures can prevent the public from receiving independent information about the country’s worsening security crisis.
The government’s argument is that the country is fighting an existential war and that journalists have a responsibility to support national unity rather than undermine military morale.
But critics say patriotism and journalism are not mutually exclusive: journalists can support their country while still scrutinising government decisions, reporting civilian casualties and questioning military strategy.
Burkina Faso is part of the central Sahel, where jihadist insurgencies have expanded dramatically since the early 2010s.
The country has experienced attacks by JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and Islamic State-linked militants. Thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The military governments in the three countries have responded by rejecting much of their previous security cooperation with France and other Western governments and strengthening their own regional alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
