Burkina Faso junta targets its critics

Arouna Loure, known for his outspoken criticism of Burkina Faso’s military junta, received a conscription order on September 7. The order lacked specifics and required his military service to begin within four days. On September 13, Loure was forcibly taken by armed men from his workplace at the hospital to a military camp near Kaya. His abduction was widely reported, heightening concerns about the enforced disappearances of critics, human rights defenders, and journalists in Burkina Faso.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused the ruling junta of targeting government critics through abductions and forced recruitment. The authorities have not responded to the allegations despite repeated requests for comment. Loure, released after three months, said he and eight other critics were recruited into the Kaya camp, where they faced punitive measures designed to silence opposition. The forced recruitment, verified by Reuters, has left many victims unaccounted for, and allegations of torture have been made by those released.

In a broader context, these actions are part of junta leader Ibrahim Traoré’s efforts to crack down on dissent since a September 2022 coup. Despite the junta’s promises to restore security, the country remains volatile, with ongoing violence and unrest. Analysts describe the situation as an “authoritarian drift,” reflecting Traoré’s increasingly hardline stance as the government struggles to take control of the country. The junta’s tactics, including forced conscription, continue to raise human rights concerns both domestically and internationally.