BURKINA FASO SUSPENDS BBC, VOA FOR AIRING HRW REPORT ACCUSING ARMY OF EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS

Burkina Faso has suspended the BBC and Voice of America from broadcasting in the country after the British and US radio stations aired a rights report accusing the army of attacking on civilians in its battle against jihadists.

The suspension of broadcasting rights of BBC Africa and VOA are latest on international media organisations since Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power in the West African country in a September 2022 coup.

Why BBC & VOA have been suspended from broadcasting in Burkina Faso?

The communications authority (CSC) of Burkina Faso made an announcement saying, "The programmes of these two international radio networks broadcasting from Ouagadougou have been suspended for a period of two weeks."

It was further announced that the decision had been taken because BBC Africa and the VOA had aired as well as published a report on their digital platforms "accusing the Burkina army of abuses against the civilian population".

The CSC said BBC and VOA have been suspended over their coverage of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accusing the army of extrajudicial killings, authorities said late on Thursday..

The report contained "hasty and biased declarations without tangible proof against the Burkinabe army," the CSC stated.

On Thursday, HRW, an international NGO said soldiers in Burkina Faso's jihadist-hit north had killed at least 223 villagers, including 56 children, in two revenge attacks on February 25.

Also, internet service providers in the West African country have also been "directed" by the CSC to suspend access to the sites and other digital platforms of the BBC, VOA and HRW from Burkinabe territory.

The CSC further said the "approach" of the BBC and VOA "undermines the cardinal principles of information processing in that it constitutes disinformation likely to bring discredit to the Burkinabe army".

Meanwhile, CSC has also urged all other media to refrain from carrying the article, warning that any offenders could face sanctions.

For the unversed, Burkina Faso has already targeted a number of French TV and radio channels, with suspensions, bans or the expulsion of foreign correspondents.

The country has been battling attacks from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State since a jihadist insurgency swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

Since then, around 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso and around two million have been displaced.

With inputs from AFP

2024-04-26T11:20:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd