Rédaction Africa Links 24 with AZ Africa Links 24
Published on 2024-03-23 20:18:19
The Burkina Faso government questions Associated Press professionalism
The Government of Burkina Faso expressed their astonishment in Ouagadougou on Saturday over a critical article published by the Associated Press (AP), accusing the regular forces engaged against terrorists of increasingly massacring the civilian population. The Burkinabe government implied in a statement released on Saturday that the Associated Press may have hidden behind journalism to actively participate in a communication campaign against Burkina Faso.
The article in question was published on March 22 on the American news agency’s website and was based on three individuals presented by the agency as “survivors”. It stated that “Burkinabe security forces are killing more and more civilians” and detailed “the survivors recounting the massacre of a village”.
The Burkinabe authorities expressed their indignation over AP relying on the “testimonies” of three so-called “survivors” to sell the idea of a “sharp increase in civilian killings by Burkina Faso security forces” to the public. The government was shocked to see an agency like AP base its conviction on such simplistic explanations. They feared that AP may have hidden behind journalism to take an active part in the coordinated communication campaign against Burkina Faso, aiming to discredit the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) who are bravely and professionally fighting for the reconquest of their territory and peace.
Just like the United States fighting terrorism in all its forms since 9/11, Burkina Faso is committed to tracking down and neutralizing terrorists wherever they may be.
The actions on the ground, operations carried out by Burkinabe combat forces, and measures taken by the authorities to address the situation are often subject to observations that are not always objective in the international press. French media outlets such as RFI, France 24, Le Monde, and Jeune Afrique have been suspended by Burkina due to what is deemed as malicious reporting on subjects related to the terrorist crisis the country faces without real support from the Western community.
Overall, Burkina Faso stands firm in its fight against terrorism and hopes for fair and unbiased reporting on the efforts being made in the country to tackle this critical issue.
Read the original article(French) on Agence d’Information du Burkina
