Burkina Faso Frees Detained Journalists After Months of Forced Military Service

By Riat Uzuh | SpringNewsNG Media Limited | July 24, 2025

OUAGADOUGOU – Two prominent Burkinabé journalists who were detained and forcibly conscripted into military service earlier this year have finally been released and reunited with their families.

Guezouma Sanogo, president of the Association of Journalists of Burkina Faso (AJB), and Phil Roland Zongo, a radio journalist with Femina FM, were arrested in March 2025 under the country’s controversial anti-terrorism mobilization law. The law allows the state to compel civilians—including journalists—to serve at the front lines.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), both men were “coerced into military duty”, deployed without any formal charges or court hearings. They reportedly served under harsh conditions near the eastern frontlines, where militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State remain active.

National and Global Reactions

The news of their release on July 22, 2025 was welcomed with relief and celebration by press freedom advocates, but concerns persist over the safety of journalists in the country.

“While we are glad Sanogo and Zongo are safe, it’s unacceptable that journalists are being targeted and used as pawns in a military agenda,” said Arnaud Froger, head of RSF’s Africa desk. He added that two more journalists remain missing under similar circumstances.

Despite repeated calls for restraint, the Traoré-led junta continues to clamp down on media freedom, with over a dozen journalists currently under surveillance or facing travel bans.

Press unions across West Africa are now calling for an independent investigation into the illegal conscription of media professionals and urging the international community to press for full press freedom in Burkina Faso.