More than 40 journalists in Burkina Faso have undergone a military-style “patriotism” training programme imposed by the country’s military-led government, sparking fresh concerns over press freedom.
The six-day training, organised by the Ministry of Security, brought together 44 male and female journalists at a police academy near the capital, Ouagadougou.
The programme is part of an annual “patriotic immersion” initiative that authorities now require public and private media organisations to participate in.
The development has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates, who warned that forcing journalists into military-style activities could undermine their professional independence.
“This initiative is a new, very worrying signal for press freedom,” Sadibou Marong, sub-Saharan Africa bureau director at Reporters Without Borders, told AFP.
“Journalists are not soldiers and must not be turned into mouthpieces for the war effort, dressed in military uniforms and with weapons in their hands,” he said.
Footage shared by Burkina Faso’s state broadcaster, RTB, showed journalists dressed in military fatigues and holding rifles as they listened to Communication Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo.
“Are you going to be patriotic and professional journalists?” Ouedraogo asked the participants.
“Affirmative,” they responded in unison while standing at attention.
“A professional journalist who is not a patriot is a threat to their country,” Ouedraogo, who is also government spokesman, told them.
Burkina Faso has battled a decade-long jihadist insurgency linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups, with violence spreading across parts of the country and neighbouring states in the Sahel.
The military government, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore since his 2022 coup, has pursued policies centred on national sovereignty and reduced reliance on Western partners.
Authorities have also suspended several media organisations, while rights groups have accused the government of forcibly conscripting journalists critical of the junta and deploying some to conflict zones.
The government has defended its emphasis on patriotism as part of efforts to mobilise citizens amid the security crisis.
A similar military-style programme was introduced for secondary-school students sitting their final examinations last year, further expanding the authorities’ efforts to promote what they describe as patriotic civic values.
