Media Freedom Coalition Statement on Burkina Faso

The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition express their deep concern about declining freedom for members of the media and independent voices in Burkina Faso.  Freedom of expression, press freedom, and the safety of journalists are indispensable for the flourishing of free, pluralistic, secure, inclusive, and democratic societies.

Continued sanctioning of local and international media by the Burkina Faso Superior Council for Communication (CSC) restricts the ability of journalists to do their jobs and suppresses the flow of independent information.  The CSC’s recent decision to indefinitely ban local media organizations from rebroadcasting content from any foreign news source, a practice it calls “synchronization,” will further limit the Burkinabe people’s access to information, restrict press freedom, and give the government greater control over media narratives.  We urge the government to respect the guarantees in the Burkinabe constitution to the freedom of the press and the right to information.

We also condemn the targeted conscription of journalists into the military, a punitive practice that seeks to silence targeted individuals who report on security and conflict issues, including investigative media professionals critical of the government.

Media freedom is a critical element of security.  The MFC condemns recent attacks in Burkina Faso and expresses its sympathy to all those affected.  Especially during periods of conflict and danger to civilian populations, it is essential that reliable, trustworthy media can keep informing the public.  The MFC stands ready to work with governments to ensure security and counter terrorism efforts are written and implemented in a manner that can achieve security goals while respecting human rights, including freedom of expression, and enabling journalists to report safely and freely, without undue government interference.

We call for the ban on foreign media synchronization to be lifted, and for an end to repression and the censorship of independent journalism in all its forms.