{"id":468,"date":"2025-04-08T18:27:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T18:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/?p=468"},"modified":"2025-05-07T05:33:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T05:33:16","slug":"caj-calls-for-release-of-detained-journalists-in-burkina-faso","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/2025\/04\/08\/caj-calls-for-release-of-detained-journalists-in-burkina-faso\/","title":{"rendered":"CAJ CALLS FOR RELEASE OF DETAINED JOURNALISTS IN BURKINA FASO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(La version fran\u00e7aise ci-dessous)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRESS RELEASE Nairobi, Kenya: April 8, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Congress of African Journalists (CAJ) has called on the Burkinabe authorities to immediately release three journalists recently detained and subsequently forcibly conscripted into the armed forces.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guezouma Sanogo, the president of the Association of Burkinabe Journalists (AJB), his deputy Boukari Ouoba and Luc Pagbelguem, a reporter with a privately-owned TV station BFI were arrested by National Security Council intelligence officers on March 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanogo and Ouoba were arrested after they denounced the increasing press freedom violations during the AJB Congress while Pagbelguem was arrested after his media outlet reported on the AJB Congress proceedings where Sanogo also called for the release of four other journalists abducted and forcibly conscripted into the army in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, a two -minute video was published by several Facebook accounts in Burkina Faso which showed the three journalists in military uniform in an undisclosed location with armed men in Burkinabe army uniform standing behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe call on the Burkinabe authorities to immediately release the detained journalists and uphold press freedom to allow journalists and media outlets to operate freely,\u201d said CAJ President Christopher Isiguzo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said CAJ was concerned over the escalating crackdown on journalists and media outlets, including the suspension of the operations of the AJB. \u201cThe situation in Bukina Faso is a major threat to press freedom as it induces fear and self-censorship among journalists, in the process undermining freedom of expression and access to information,\u201d the CAJ President added.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CAJ President also called for the release of three other journalists Serge Oulon, editor in chief of L\u2019Ev\u00e9nement newspaper, Adama Bayala and Kalifara Sere of BF1, a private TV channel, who the authorities acknowledged on October 24, 2024 to have been forcibly conscripted in the army after going missing since June 2024. The authorities have however declined to comment on the fate of Alain Traore, a columnist with Omega Media, seized by masked gunmen in July 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of journalists have fled into exile due to the mounting threats and fear of arrests and possible forced conscription into the army.  A prominent journalist, Newton Ahmed Barry, has since April 1 been placed on a list of 32 individuals \u201cwanted for association with a terrorist organization\u201d by the Burkinabe authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the AJB Congress, the officials also cited the disappearances of three other journalists, Bienvenue Apiou, James Yazid Dembele and Mamadou Ali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

————————————————<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAJ Secretariat: Epren Center, Buruburu, Mumias Road, Nairobi, Kenya<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, contact: oloojanak@gmail.com, cajournalists@gmail.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary’s phone: +254 786 396 945; President’s phone: +234 803 776 2492<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

———————————————-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nairobi, Kenya : Avril 8, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

LE CAJ APPELLE \u00c0 LA LIB\u00c9RATION DES JOURNALISTES D\u00c9TENUS AU BURKINA FASO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le Congr\u00e8s des journalistes africains (CAJ) appelle les autorit\u00e9s burkinab\u00e9s \u00e0 lib\u00e9rer imm\u00e9diatement trois journalistes r\u00e9cemment d\u00e9tenus et ensuite enr\u00f4l\u00e9s de force dans les forces arm\u00e9es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guezouma Sanogo, le pr\u00e9sident de l’Association des journalistes burkinab\u00e9s (AJB), son adjoint Boukari Ouoba et Luc Pagbelguem, un reporter de la cha\u00eene de t\u00e9l\u00e9vision priv\u00e9e BFI, ont \u00e9t\u00e9 arr\u00eat\u00e9s par des agents de renseignement du Conseil national de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 le 24 mars 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Sanogo et Ouoba ont \u00e9t\u00e9 arr\u00eat\u00e9s apr\u00e8s avoir d\u00e9nonc\u00e9 l’augmentation des violations de la libert\u00e9 de la presse lors du Congr\u00e8s de l’AJB, tandis que Pagbelguem a \u00e9t\u00e9 arr\u00eat\u00e9 apr\u00e8s que son m\u00e9dia a diffus\u00e9 des informations sur le d\u00e9roulement du Congr\u00e8s de l\u2019AJB, o\u00f9 Sanogo a \u00e9galement appel\u00e9 \u00e0 la lib\u00e9ration de quatre autres journalistes enlev\u00e9s et enr\u00f4l\u00e9s de force dans l’arm\u00e9e en 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La semaine derni\u00e8re, une vid\u00e9o de deux minutes a \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9e par plusieurs comptes Facebook au Burkina Faso, montrant les trois journalistes en uniforme militaire dans un lieu non divulgu\u00e9, avec des hommes arm\u00e9s en uniforme de l’arm\u00e9e burkinab\u00e9 se tenant derri\u00e8re eux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00ab Nous appelons les autorit\u00e9s burkinab\u00e9s \u00e0 lib\u00e9rer imm\u00e9diatement les journalistes d\u00e9tenus et \u00e0 soutenir la libert\u00e9 de la presse pour permettre aux journalistes et aux m\u00e9dias de travailler librement \u00bb, a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 le pr\u00e9sident du CAJ, Christopher Isiguzo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Il a indiqu\u00e9 que le CAJ \u00e9tait pr\u00e9occup\u00e9 par la r\u00e9pression croissante des journalistes et des m\u00e9dias, y compris la suspension des op\u00e9rations de l’AJB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00ab La situation au Burkina Faso constitue une menace majeure pour la libert\u00e9 de la presse, car elle induit la peur et l’autocensure parmi les journalistes, tout en compromettant la libert\u00e9 d’expression et l’acc\u00e8s \u00e0 l’information \u00bb, a ajout\u00e9 le pr\u00e9sident du CAJ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le pr\u00e9sident du CAJ a \u00e9galement appel\u00e9 \u00e0 la lib\u00e9ration de trois autres journalistes : Serge Oulon, r\u00e9dacteur en chef du journal L\u2019\u00c9v\u00e9nement, Adama Bayala et Kalifara Sere de BF1, une cha\u00eene de t\u00e9l\u00e9vision priv\u00e9e, que les autorit\u00e9s ont reconnu le 24 octobre 2024 avoir enr\u00f4l\u00e9s de force dans l’arm\u00e9e, apr\u00e8s leur disparition depuis juin 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les autorit\u00e9s ont cependant refus\u00e9 de commenter le sort d’Alain Traor\u00e9, un chroniqueur de Omega Media, enlev\u00e9 par des hommes masqu\u00e9s en juillet 2024. Des dizaines de journalistes ont fui en exil en raison des menaces croissantes et de la peur des arrestations et d’un possible enr\u00f4lement forc\u00e9 dans l’arm\u00e9e.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un \u00e9minent journaliste, Newton Ahmed Barry, a \u00e9t\u00e9 plac\u00e9 depuis le 1er avril sur une liste de 32 personnes \u00ab recherch\u00e9es pour association avec une organisation terroriste \u00bb par les autorit\u00e9s burkinab\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lors du Congr\u00e8s de l’AJB, les responsables ont \u00e9galement cit\u00e9 les disparitions de trois autres journalistes : Bienvenue Apiou, James Yazid Dembele et Mamadou Ali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secr\u00e9tariat du CAJ : Centre Epren, Buruburu, Mumias Road, Nairobi, Kenya<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pour plus d’informations, contactez\u00a0: <\/em>oloojanak@gmail.com<\/em><\/a>; <\/em>cajournalists@gmail.com<\/em><\/a>T\u00e9l\u00e9phone du Secr\u00e9taire : +254 786 396 945 ; T\u00e9l\u00e9phone du Pr\u00e9sident : +234 803 776 2492<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(La version fran\u00e7aise ci-dessous) PRESS RELEASE Nairobi, Kenya: April 8, 2025 The Congress of African Journalists (CAJ) has called on the Burkinabe authorities to immediately release three journalists recently detained and subsequently forcibly conscripted into the armed forces.   Guezouma Sanogo, the president of the Association of Burkinabe Journalists (AJB), his deputy Boukari Ouoba and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"tdm_status":"disabled","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ethical-and-professional-journalism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":476,"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions\/476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caj.or.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}