Burkina Faso halts BBC and VOA radio broadcasts due to coverage of recent killings | Global News

Burkina Faso has suspended the radio broadcasts of BBC Africa and the U.S-funded Voice of America for two weeks due to their coverage of a Human Rights Watch report accusing the army of extrajudicial killings. The report, based on an investigation by the watchdog, revealed that the Burkinabe military summarily executed about 223 villagers, including 56 children, in February as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants.

Human Rights Watch has called on authorities to investigate the massacres, stating that the army has repeatedly committed mass atrocities against civilians in the name of fighting terrorism. However, the country’s communication council deemed the report as containing “peremptory and tendentious” declarations against the army that could incite public disorder. As a result, the council decided to suspend the radio programs of the broadcasters and ordered internet service providers to block access to their websites and digital platforms in Burkina Faso.

The investigation by HRW was prompted by a regional prosecutor’s statement in March, which reported that about 170 people were executed by unidentified assailants during attacks on several villages. Burkina Faso, along with other Sahel nations, has been struggling to contain Islamist insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State since 2012, resulting in thousands of deaths and millions of displacements.

The frustrations over authorities’ failure to protect civilians have led to multiple coups in the region since 2020, including two in Mali, two in Burkina Faso, and one in Niger. The situation remains tense as the government faces criticism for its handling of the security crisis.