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May 06, 2026 – Burkina Faso –
New allegations against Burkina Faso’s military authorities have intensified concerns over press freedom after investigations by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) claimed that prominent investigative journalist Atiana Serge Oulon was secretly detained and abused inside an unofficial prison in Ouagadougou for months, despite government assertions that he had been conscripted into military service.
Oulon, director of the investigative newspaper L’Événement, disappeared in June 2024 after armed men in civilian clothing reportedly abducted him from his home. Authorities later suggested that he and several other journalists had been requisitioned to support the military’s campaign against armed groups operating across the country. However, RSF said its investigation uncovered evidence that Oulon remained detained in the capital until at least late 2025 inside villas converted into secret holding facilities near the United States embassy in the Ouaga 2000 district.
According to testimonies gathered from former detainees, dozens of civilians were allegedly held in overcrowded rooms under constant guard. Witnesses described harsh conditions that included sleeping on bare floors, prolonged isolation, beatings, threats of execution, and limited access to food and water. RSF further alleged that Oulon was among the prisoners subjected to the most severe treatment during the early period of his detention.
The journalist had reportedly faced growing pressure from authorities after publishing investigations into alleged corruption involving military figures and funds intended for pro-government civilian defense groups. Media rights organizations said his disappearance reflected an escalating crackdown on independent journalism and dissent under the military government led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in 2022.
RSF called for Oulon’s immediate release and urged authorities to disclose his whereabouts. Human rights advocates warned that the reported existence of secret detention facilities and enforced disappearances signals a worsening climate for journalists in Burkina Faso, where several media outlets have faced suspensions, intimidation, and restrictions in recent years. The government had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
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