« Nairobi, Kenya - September 1, 2024 - The African Editors Forum (TAEF) is greatly concerned with the state of press freedom in the Sahel region, with specific reference to Burkina Faso. TAEF is therefore calling on the military authorities to ensure the safety of all journalists and advocates of press freedom and of free speech.
TAEF President Churchill Otieno said: “The atmosphere of fear that many journalists doing critical reporting have found themselves is unacceptable and dents the spirit of the universal charter on press freedom and freedom of expression which are fundamental human rights enjoyed by all citizens and that which ought to be protected by the state.”
TAEF has in the recent weeks engaged dozens of media stakeholders in the region, and from accounts on the ground, found that in Burkina Faso, under the watch of President Traore, a dire atmosphere prevails. There is an aggressive nationwide campaign to silence critical journalism and freedom of expression and kidnapping of journalists and human rights defenders Journalists have been divided into two groups: ‘The Patriots’ - those who support the authorities and report favourably about it, and the ‘enemies of the state’ - those who criticize the government.
Attached to this press release is a brief report on the situation in Burkina Faso.
TAEF is therefore calling on the Burkinabe authorities to respect the rights of all citizens to free speech, and press freedom, and to ensure that all media houses that have been shut or suspended, are allowed to freely operate and to report with hindrance the facts as they serve the public interest. »
Churchill Otieno, President
Note to editors:
About TAEF: TAEF is the continent’s premium editors’ guild that represents editors and senior journalists, whose primary purpose is to defend media freedom and be the leading voice for media advocacy.
Contact: Emang Mutapati – General Secretary. Email: emangb@thevoicebw.com
PRÉSIDENTIELLE 2024
FRANCE
