News Africa
Journalists forced to join army in Burkina Faso
Journalists in Burkina Faso are the new target of forced conscription to the army, the West African director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Sadibou Marong has told the BBC.
“They dared to criticise the government and they now have been summoned to join the army,” Mr Marong told the Africa Daily podcast.
The military-led government has admitted to enrolling critics in the army in the past.
Mr Marong added that the transitional assembly passed a law that gives authorities the ability to identify and force young people to fight in the army.
Mr Marong says two journalists he has been in touch with have received official summons to join the army.
One of the journalists joined the army for a month but then escaped near the border of Ivory Coast.
It comes after a recent crackdown on foreign media outlets.
The BBC, Guardian and Le Monde have been suspended for their coverage of a report by US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), accusing its army of killing 223 civilians in February.
Burkina Faso has dismissed these reports.
Source: bbc.com
