Who are the four journalists that disappeared in Burkina Faso?
Four Burkinabè journalists, all renowned for their critical thinking, have disappeared in the span of a month: Atiana Serge Oulon, Alain Traoré, Adama Bayala and Kalifaré Séré. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) looks at the remarkable work of these journalists, which ultimately led to their abductions. RSF demands the Burkinabe authorities end their deafening silence on the journalists’ whereabouts.
Journalism in Burkina Faso has taken a sudden, dramatic turn for the worse. Since 19 June, two journalists and two columnists have disappeared, at least three of them abducted by armed individuals, according to RSF’s information. The kidnappers of at least two of these journalists claimed to be members of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR).
The fate of Atiana Serge Oulon, editor of the newspaper L'Événement, seems to have been confirmed since the Head of State, Ibrahim Traoré, described forcibly conscripting a journalist who resembled Oulon in a public speech. The families of the other three journalists, however, have had no news since their disappearances.
Atiana Serge Oulon's investigations revealed matters of public interest, such as the army’s lack of transparency. Alain Traoré built up an audience through his daily programme, which reports on and analyses current events in Burkina Faso. News commentators Adama Bayala and Kalifara Séré are eagerly followed by many Burkinabè. These four media professionals were seen as critical voices by the authorities, and it is now clear that the government bears a degree of responsibility for their disappearances — particularly for the deafening silence around the kidnappings, and for showing public hostility towards journalists. Alarmed by the deteriorating safety of Burkinabè journalists, RSF urges Captain Traoré not to sink further into this spiral of repression, which is undermining his people's right to information.
Atiana Serge Oulon, investigative journalist at L'Événement, aged 38
Editor-in-chief of the fortnightly L'Événement since 2019, Atiana Serge Oulon is one of the last Burkinabe journalists who dared to cover national security issues. In December 2022, the 38-year-old published an investigation into a high-ranking officer’s suspected embezzlement of funds intended for the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), which landed Oulon in a hearing with the military court a few weeks later. “He is a great professional, but the nature of his sources quickly attracted the new military authorities,” says a colleague close to Oulon. His investigations are widely acclaimed, and on 29 June 2024, Oulon won the National Network of Anti-Corruption (REN-LAC)’s Anti-Corruption Prize in the written press category for the fourth time. Oulon has also written several books, notably on the rise of terrorism and the two recent military coups. He was abducted from his home on 24 June 2024.
Alain Alain, editor-in-chief of Omega Media, aged 49
Alain Traoré, 49, better known by his pseudonym Alain Alain, was kidnapped in similar circumstances, according to RSF’s information. Two armed men wearing balaclavas and mufflers, accompanied by at least three other people, broke into the journalist's home in the early hours of 13 July. Former journalist for the private radio station Horizon FM, Traoré now works as the editor of the “National Languages” desk at the privately-owned Omega Média press group. Most notably, Traoré writes “Le Défouloir,” a daily satirical column criticising the shortcomings of those in power. "His family, including his children, are regularly threatened by government supporters. Many people don't understand that his programme ‘Le Défouloir’ is satirical,” explained a source close to Traoré. A colleague from the Omega group, who wishes to remain anonymous, praises Alain Alain's “devotion and great mastery of the various national languages.”
Adama Bayala, news commentator at BF1, aged 44
According to RSF’s information, Adama Bayala was abducted in the middle of traffic in Ouagadougou, the capital city. The commentator, who appears every Sunday on the news programme “Presse Echos” on the privately-owned channel BF1, was supposed to meet a friend in the Cissin neighbourhood shortly after 2pm on 28 June. The friend waited in vain. “Kidnappings in the middle of traffic allow the kidnappers to give false pretexts to witnesses, for example by calling out to the thief,” explains a survivor of these practices, who wishes to remain anonymous. At 44, Bayala, who was previously a journalist at the state-owned newspaper Sidwaya, is one of the few voices that openly criticizes the current government. "He had already received threats via intermediaries six months ago. His position in the civil service was also used as leverage,” says a close friend, as Bayala had been director of communications at the Higher Institute for Information and Communication Technology (ISTIC). “But he never stopped appearing on BF1," says a close friend.
Kalifara Séré, news commentator at BF1
Another of BF1‘s leading commentators, Kalifara Séré, a former high-ranking government employee, has never minced his words against Captain Traoré's military junta, especially when it comes to condemning the disappearance of human rights protection bodies in the country. On 16 June, on the news programme “7 Infos”, Séré questioned the authenticity of images of the Head of State giving blood in Ouagadougou two days prior. He was subsequently questioned by the CSC, Burkina Faso’s telecommunications regulator, on 19 June, notably for having declared: “It is the State itself that has fabricated information that is false” on the programme. Séré has not been heard from since he left the hearing. According to the CSC‘s press release, he admitted having been “excessive in his comments during the programme, but that his intention was not to cause harm.” His last appearance on “7 Infos” has since been deleted from YouTube, and the programme was suspended for a fortnight on the same day as the summons.
