Burkina Faso frees unlawfully conscripted journalists and activist

In early July 2025, authorities in Burkina Faso released five journalists and a human rights activist who had been subjected to unlawful forced conscription into the military after voicing criticism against the ruling military junta. While this marks a welcome development, their freedom starkly highlights the ongoing plight of others who remain missing, some since 2024, with no information regarding their whereabouts.

On March 24, 2024, in Ouagadougou, the nation’s capital, authorities detained Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Phil Roland Zongo, all members of the Association of Journalists of Burkina (AJB), alongside Luc Pagbelguem, a journalist from the private television channel BF1. Their arrests followed their condemnation of restrictions on freedom of expression imposed by the junta. By April 2, a video circulating on social media depicted Guezouma Sanogo, Boukari Ouoba, and Luc Pagbelguem in military uniforms, sparking significant concern about their presumed conscription. The forced enlistment of Phil Roland Zongo was only publicly confirmed at the time of his release.

Later, on June 18, 2024, Kalifara Séré, a commentator for BF1 TV, vanished after attending a meeting with members of the Superior Council of Communication (CSC), Burkina Faso’s media regulatory body. CSC members had previously questioned Kalifara Séré regarding a commentary where he expressed skepticism about the authenticity of photographs featuring the head of state. In October 2024, authorities finally admitted his conscription into the army, along with two other journalists, Serge Oulon and Adama Bayala. The whereabouts of Serge Oulon and Adama Bayala remain unknown.

Prior to these events, on November 29, 2023, individuals in civilian clothes identifying themselves as national intelligence agents abducted Lamine Ouattara, a member of the Burkinabè Movement for Human and Peoples’ Rights (MBDHP), from his residence. Relatives of Lamine Ouattara subsequently confirmed that he too had been illegally conscripted.

Human Rights Watch has extensively documented the junta’s practice of utilizing a broad emergency law to forcibly enlist critics, journalists, human rights advocates, and magistrates, effectively silencing dissent.

While governments possess the authority to conscript adult civilians for national defense, such conscription must always be implemented in a manner that clearly informs potential recruits of their military service duration and provides them with avenues to challenge their obligation to serve.

The Burkinabè authorities must immediately release all individuals still unlawfully detained and cease the practice of using conscription as a tool to suppress media freedom and silence critics.