Burkina Faso media sign agreement to support counterterrorism efforts
Media organisations across Burkina Faso have signed a formal pact to support national efforts against terrorism and contribute to the recovery of territory lost to armed groups.
The agreement, signed on Wednesday in Ouagadougou under the oversight of the Higher Council for Communication (CSC), aims to formalise the media’s contribution to national security and territorial recovery.
The pact, endorsed by representatives from radio, television, print, and online outlets, as well as the Burkinabe Media Observatory (OBM) and the CSC, outlines mutual commitments between the press, the state, and media regulators, Le Faso reports.
The document is structured around three main components. The first commits media outlets to publicise the activities of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), promote civic engagement, and contribute to national cohesion and intercommunal understanding.
The second outlines key demands from media actors toward the government, including tax reforms for media companies, full enforcement of the 2015 Right to Information law, and the establishment of a permanent consultation framework between the press and state institutions.
The third section designates the CSC and OBM as responsible for monitoring and facilitating implementation. A six-month review of the pact’s application has been proposed by CSC President Louis Modeste Ouédraogo, reported by Lefaso.net, a local news site.
After the four-hour amendment, adoption, and signing process, CSC President Louis Modeste Ouédraogo congratulated the journalists for their commitment. "We have just taken a historic, highly civic-minded step, which confirms the level of commitment of the entire national press to defending the general interest and safeguarding national unity," he said.
He also remarked that this is not an “attempt to muzzle the press.”
Director General for Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB), Atéridar Galip Somé noted that the state broadcaster has already aligned its editorial approach with national security priorities and described the pact as formalising an existing orientation.
The agreement follows a May 3 workshop organised by the CSC, which recommended a unified media framework to guide coverage during the security crisis.
