Since seizing power in a coup in September 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré has overseen a Burkina Faso grappling with severe security and political instability. In this climate of uncertainty, journalists and civil society members report fleeing the country to escape what they describe as arbitrary pressures and threats.

Defying threats to keep informing the public

Three journalists and one legal professional, now living in Côte d’Ivoire’s thriving Burkinabè community, recount harrowing escapes—sometimes clandestine—to avoid forced conscription or professional retaliation. One continues to report under a pseudonym, while another now mentors young investigative journalists. All describe receiving online threats and living with the constant fear of being tracked, even from abroad.

International human rights organizations have previously condemned the use of Burkina Faso’s general mobilization decree against critics of the regime. Yet, authorities have not responded to these latest testimonies.

Awaiting change before returning home

For these exiles, Côte d’Ivoire serves as a temporary sanctuary. While they hope to return to Burkina Faso someday, they emphasize that a significant improvement in the political and security landscape must occur first. Their stories reflect the struggles of journalists and opponents in a nation where authorities justify stringent measures as necessary to combat jihadist groups that have plagued the country for over a decade.