Burkina Faso's government has taken the unprecedented step of suspending the BBC and Voice of America (VOA) radio networks from broadcasting for a fortnight. The move comes in response to the airing of a report by these international media outlets accusing the Burkinabe army of attacks on civilians.
The decision was announced by the country's communications authority (CSC) late on Thursday, citing the dissemination of what it deemed to be "hasty and biased declarations without tangible proof against the Burkinabe army" in the report. The BBC Africa and VOA programs were suspended for two weeks due to their coverage of the alleged abuses against the civilian population.
The report in question, published on the digital platforms of BBC and VOA, highlighted allegations made by the international NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW). According to HRW, soldiers in Burkina Faso's jihadist-hit north had carried out two revenge attacks on February 25, resulting in the deaths of at least 223 villagers, including 56 children.
Burkina Faso has remained silent on the allegations made in the report. The country has been grappling with a persistent jihadist insurgency that originated in neighboring Mali in 2015.
The suspension of BBC and VOA broadcasts has sparked concerns about press freedom and government censorship in Burkina Faso. International observers fear that such actions could undermine efforts to hold authorities accountable for human rights abuses and restrict access to independent information in the country.
