Message in support of the Burkina Faso media

We, the organisations that have signed this communiqué, all of which are committed to supporting and assisting the Burkina Faso media, wish to jointly congratulate the Burkina Faso media – and more generally the Burkina Faso people – who have shown great courage in recent days despite being placed under serious threat.

Despite the pressure placed on them, threats made against them and attempts to silence them in order to prevent them from freely carrying out their work of providing their citizens with information, the Burkina Faso journalists and media have continued to broadcast credible and independent information, particularly via their presence on social networks, when internet connections have allowed it. By their side, members of civil society and human rights activists have taken to the internet and the streets, despite being seriously harassed since the beginning of the coup, in order to protest against this blow dealt to the democratic transition that started after the popular uprising of 30 and 31 October 2014.

CFI, Deutsche Welle Akademie, Fondation Hirondelle, International Media Support, Internews and Reporters sans frontières would once again like to express their support for their partners, all of whom are heavily involved on a daily basis, more particularly since the beginning of the crisis, in order to defend the transition that is taking place in their country. We are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them and encouraging them to continue to mobilise and to independently provide the citizens with information.

We also condemn any form of violence and threat against the media and its teams, defenders of human rights and the citizens of Burkina Faso.

Here is a list, unfortunately non-exhaustive, of the acts of violence carried out against the media and journalists in recent days:
-the transmitters of several radio stations throughout the country have been shut down
-motorcycles were set on fire at the Oméga FM radio station in Ouagadougou
-equipment was stolen from the Savane FM radio station (including the transmitter and computers) in Ouagadougou
-the Laafi radio station in Zorgho (approximately 100 km to the east of Ouagadougou) was ransacked and set on fire
-the Mogtedo and Goudri radio stations were fired upon
-the premises of the BF1 television studio in Ouagadougou were broken into
-the RSP took control of Radio Télévision Burkinabè (RTB)
-a photographer from the online newspaper Lefaso.net and a Burkina24.com journalist were severely beaten near the premises of the BF1 television studio
-a journalist from the Sidwaya daily newspaper was physically assaulted and his camera destroyed
-the Bogandé correspondent of the Sidwaya daily newspaper was hit by gunfire in Ouagadougou
-the managing director of Editions Le Pays was physically assaulted in Ouagadougou
-several journalists were threatened and intimidated
-the homes and places of work of several journalists and media managers have been under surveillance

List of signatories:

CFI – The French operator in media cooperation
Deutsche Welle Akademie
Fondation Hirondelle
International Media Support
Internews
Reporters sans frontières