News Africa

Burkina Faso suspends BBC, VOA for airing report accusing army

Burkina Faso’s media regulator has imposed a two-week suspension on the programmes of BBC Afrique and Voice of America (VOA) for airing a Human Rights Watch report accusing the Burkinabè army of abuses against civilians.

Access to the websites and digital platforms of BBC, VOA, and Human Rights Watch is also suspended within Burkina Faso.

“Accordingly, the BBC and VOA, through their correspondents in Burkina Faso, were instructed by telephone to immediately stop rebroadcasting the offending programme on all their platforms,” state-owned news agency Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB) reported on Thursday.

The Superior Council for Communication (CSC) further warned all local media outlets against disseminating the article, threatening sanctions against violators of the directive.

VOA said in an article published on Friday that it “stands by its reporting about Burkina Faso and intends to continue to fully and fairly cover activities in the country”.

HRW published a report on Thursday accusing the Burkina Faso military of executing at least 223 civilians on 25 February in the north of the country.

In December 2023, the West African nation suspended French daily Le Monde accusing it of biased reporting.

It also suspended three other international media outlets at varying times last year, including French-language magazine Jeune Afrique, French TV channel La Chaîne Info (LCI) and French state-owned media organization France24.

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

Related Articles

Back to top button