Burkina Faso’s military government has suspended the US-funded broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) for three months due to comments made about the ongoing militant insurgency in the Sahel region.
Announced on Monday, the suspension also prohibits local media from using international news reports during this period. The junta, which came to power in a coup in September 2022—its second that year—has shown growing intolerance towards criticism as the country faces worsening insecurity. Despite earlier promises to tackle the insurgency, military leaders are encountering increasing frustration over their failure to protect civilians.
The Superior Council for Communication (CSC) accused VOA of demoralizing Burkinabe and Malian troops during a discussion aired on September 19. The council took issue with the broadcaster’s description of a recent attack in Bamako as “courageous” and felt security forces were unfairly criticized. The CSC also objected to an unverified death toll in an August attack in Burkina Faso that caused significant casualties.
In its statement, the CSC announced, “All synchronization of national media with international media is suspended until further notice.” VOA has not yet responded to these developments.
The suspension is part of a broader trend in Burkina Faso and the Sahel region, where press freedoms are under increasing threat. Since 2012, violence from insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS has ravaged the region, displacing millions and killing thousands. Public frustration over the government’s inability to ensure security has led to military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger since 2020.
Earlier this year, Burkina Faso briefly suspended VOA and other international outlets after a report from Human Rights Watch accused the military of extrajudicial killings, a claim the government denied. In September, the CSC also revoked the radio frequencies of France’s RFI without providing an explanation.
