OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Three Burkinabe journalists who were arrested earlier this week have been released, while two others remain in custody under the country’s National Intelligence Agency (ANR), their respective media outlets confirmed on Wednesday.
The journalists’ detention marks the latest flashpoint in what press freedom groups describe as an intensifying clampdown on media and civil society under the military junta that seized power in September 2022, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
According to the privately owned daily Aujourd’hui (Today), its publishing director Zowenmanogo Dieudonné Zoungrana was detained on Tuesday at his home by ANR agents but has since “regained his freedom.”
Similarly, Observateur Paalga newspaper confirmed that its editorial director, Ousseni Ilboudo, who was arrested Monday at the paper’s offices, has also been released. A third journalist, Michel Nana, detained earlier the same day, was also freed.
However, two other journalists — Lamine Traoré, founder of the online platform Burkina Yawana, and Jean-Marie Toé, editor-in-chief of the state-run Sidwaya daily — remain under interrogation.
Sources told AFP that both were questioned late Tuesday over allegations of leaking content from an interview with Captain Traoré to an outlet critical of the government.
The interview in question, marking the third anniversary of the coup, was recorded late last month and broadcast nationally on September 28. Observers believe the investigation may be linked to unauthorized dissemination of excerpts ahead of the broadcast.
Burkinabe authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the arrests or the alleged leak. Government-aligned sources, however, suggest that the detentions are part of a broader probe into information breaches involving state media coverage.
Since taking power, the Traoré-led junta has faced growing criticism for suppressing dissent, including forced enlistments of journalists, activists, and relatives of opposition figures to fight jihadist insurgents.
Although the authorities released about a dozen forcibly mobilized citizens in recent months, a new wave of detentions has reignited fears of renewed repression.
Adding to the climate of unease, three appellate court magistrates remain missing after reportedly being abducted last Friday, according to a judicial source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
International rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have repeatedly warned that Burkina Faso’s press freedom landscape is deteriorating. The country has dropped significantly in global media freedom rankings since the 2022 coup.
As of Wednesday night, the fate of the two detained journalists remains unclear, with calls mounting from media organizations and civil society for their immediate release and for the junta to guarantee the safety of all journalists in the country.
