Military rulers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are increasingly crushing press freedom and freedom of expression, according to Deutsche Welle. The same outlet reported that many journalists, bloggers and activists have been forced into exile.

Since the September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the security situation in Burkina Faso has significantly worsened, monitor.civicus.org reported. Fatalities from militant Islamist group violence have nearly tripled, reaching 17,775 in the past three years compared with 6,630 in the three years prior to the coup. Violence against civilians by militant groups has surged, with at least 2,823 civilian deaths recorded since the junta took power, an 87% increase.

Control over Burkina Faso’s territory has diminished, with government forces now operating freely in as little as 30% of the country, down from about 50% in 2022, monitor.civicus.org noted. Militant groups have expanded their presence, encircling roughly 130 towns and cities with siege tactics and intensifying violence across an estimated 165,000 square kilometres. Burkinabe security forces and allied militias have been linked to a 132% increase in violence against civilians, the monitor added.