Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has accused Burkina Faso's military authorities of arbitrarily detaining and mistreating prominent investigative journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, who has been missing for nearly two years. According to a report released Wednesday, Oulon was abducted from his home on June 24, 2024, by about ten armed men in civilian clothing.

The authorities later claimed that the publication director of L’Evenement had been conscripted into the military. However, RSF's investigation allegedly found that Oulon was held captive and subjected to violence in a villa in the capital Ouagadougou, which had been turned into a makeshift prison for dozens of people, at least until the end of 2025.

“This secret detention contradicts the account provided by the authorities,” RSF said, calling the alleged forced conscription “merely a smokescreen to conceal his captivity.” The watchdog alleged that detainees at the heavily guarded house faced threats of execution, beatings with tree branches, and food deprivation. “We slept directly on the floor, and we wore the same clothes for months. We drank water from the toilets,” a former prisoner was quoted as saying.

RSF called for Oulon's immediate release, noting that the journalist had been in the military regime's crosshairs since 2022, when he accused a senior army officer of embezzlement. The group said the minister of communication did not respond to its requests. The government has not yet reacted to the report.

Last month, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a 2022 coup, told journalists, “Everyone is free to say what they want and to give their opinion.” However, in April, the military regime banned more than 100 associations and civil society groups, following the dissolution of all political parties. Rights groups have accused the regime of cracking down on dissent and restricting civic space, including press freedom and forced conscription of critics.

Source: www.aljazeera.com