More than 40 Burkinabè journalists, representing both public and private media outlets, have recently completed a military training program. The ruling junta describes this initiative as a “patriotic immersion,” which it intends to make an annual event. While a similar program was mandated last year for baccalaureate students, reflecting the nation’s ongoing struggle against jihadist groups, this latest development has sparked considerable apprehension among press freedom advocates. Concerns are heightened by past instances of Burkinabè journalists being forcibly conscripted for combat and the intense government pressure currently exerted on the national press, exemplified by the case of Serge Oulon, who remains detained two years after his abduction in Ouagadougou.

The week-long training, spearheaded by the Ministry of Security, took place at the Police Academy in Pabré, approximately twenty kilometers outside Ouagadougou. National television footage captured the Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouédraogo, addressing the journalists. Dressed in military fatigues and holding rifles, he posed the question: “Will you be patriotic and professional journalists?” The assembled journalists, standing at attention, responded in unison: “Affirmative!” The Minister further emphasized his perspective, stating, “A professional journalist lacking patriotism poses a threat. A professional and patriotic journalist who remains disengaged is akin to a passive spectator during a period when the most significant chapters of their country’s history are being written.”

Lassina Traoré, the Director General of the Police Academy, explained that the training aims to “instill in journalists the operational realities and core values that guide our defense and security forces on a daily basis.”

Despite the authorities’ framing of this as a “patriotic immersion,” it has deeply concerned proponents of press freedom. A representative from an international non-governmental organization dedicated to media freedom, Sadibou Marong, voiced strong objections, asserting, “Journalists are not soldiers and must not be co-opted into serving as instruments of the war effort, clad in military uniforms and bearing arms.”