Burkina issues ‘terrorist’ warrants for journalists, activists

Burkinabe authorities said Friday they had issued arrest warrants for some 20 people, including journalists, activists, a former minister and former officers in exile over alleged “terrorism” offences. Ouagadougou Court of Appeal attorney general Desire Sawadogo said 14 arrest warrants with extradition requests had been issued, alongside seven further standard warrants.

Burkina Faso, mired in jihadist violence for a decade, is governed by a junta that seized power in September 2022. It has cracked down hard on any criticism. Those targeted include Newton Ahmed Barry, a journalist for Radio France Internationale as well as former foreign minister Djibril Bassole, several officers and cyberactivists. They are accused of “complicity in forming a terrorist criminal organisation and complicity in the financing of terrorism”, as well as “forming a terrorist criminal organisation”, “glorifying terrorism” and “incitement to rebellion”.

Also among those targeted, albeit not by a warrant, is the Ivorian influencer Camille Makosso, known for diatribes against Sahel region juntas and who has some four million social media followers. The justice ministry said Friday evening it was calling for legal proceedings in his country of residence” and hoped Ivory Coast would heed the request “in the name of international judicial cooperation.” Sawadogo said “media such as France 24” were also in the authorities’ sights.

According to the prosecutor, more than six cases involving over 45 individuals and legal entities are currently under investigation by Burkina Faso’s specialised anti-terror judicial unit. The Public Prosecutor’s Office also stated that it had sought Meta’s cooperation to identify the administrators of pages of contributors accused of glorifying terrorism and to bring legal proceedings against the posts’ authors.