Burkinabes have noted a surge in kidnappings of individuals critical of the Burkina Faso military government, sowing a climate of terror among the citizens.
Repression has intensified since Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power in September 2022, targeting those who criticise the regime’s failure to eliminate terrorist threats.
“We have observed increased repression of all independent voices or critics of the authorities, in an extremely fragile security context, where fighting terrorism justifies any violation of human rights,” Ilaria Allegrozzi, Sahel region researcher for Human Rights Watch, told AFP.
The approach follows a comparable routine; Individuals posing as intelligence agency officials in plain clothes detain people, frequently in broad daylight, in Ouagadougou or other locations. It can take days, weeks, or even months for their families to learn about their situation.
Sometimes, individuals resurface wearing military uniforms, requisitioned to go to the front to fight terrorists.
“This is a strategy the junta uses to silence dissent. The junta wants to put them to the test, to punish them for criticising it. It’s illegal and cruel,” said Allegrozzi, who referred to “a climate of impunity” within the regime.
The latest wave of kidnappings, which occurred last week, concerned the race for a new president of the football federation, where the regime wants to place its favoured candidate. Three supporters of a rival candidate, Ali Guissou, were kidnapped in turn.
A month earlier, four prominent journalists and columnists disappeared consecutively, with two of them being abducted by security operatives, as stated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The RSF claimed that it was evident that the authorities “bear some responsibility for their disappearance.”
The abducted journalists share the common trait of having investigated the abuses of the regime and expressing concerns about the regime’s policies.
According to RSF, one of the journalists, Atiana Serge Oulon, is believed to have “likely joined the military,” while the families of the other three have not received any information since their disappearance.
For more than a year, there have been instances of kidnappings or detentions involving public figures, like well-known attorney Guy Herve Kam, who was detained three times within six months, and officials such as former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda.
The junta has accused them of “conspiracy” or “attempting to destabilise republican institutions.” As a result, many individuals are leaving Burkina Faso for neighbouring countries to evade a similar outcome.
While civil society organisations in Burkina Faso have denounced the kidnappings, the international community’s response has been limited.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to intervening in Burkina Faso.