What's happened
Burkina Faso suspends foreign media outlets, including BBC and Voice of America, over their coverage of a report accusing the military of killing hundreds of civilians. The government denies the allegations, calling them baseless, and suspends additional outlets like Le Monde and Deutsche Welle.
Why it matters
The suspension of foreign media outlets in Burkina Faso raises concerns about press freedom and government transparency. The accusations of mass killings by the military highlight potential human rights abuses and the need for independent investigations to ensure accountability.
What the papers say
Human Rights Watch's report accuses the military of executing civilians, while Burkina Faso's government denies the allegations as baseless. The government views the media coverage as an attempt to discredit the military. Reporters Without Borders criticizes the suspensions as grave and abusive decisions.
How we got here
The Human Rights Watch report alleges that the military killed 223 villagers in two attacks in February, part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with rebel fighters. Burkina Faso has a history of censoring Western media, having suspended French outlets in the past.
More on these topics
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Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It covers an area of around 274,200 square kilometres and is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north and west; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo to the southeast; Ghana to the south
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Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights.
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The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Headquartered at Broadcasting House in Westminster, London, it is the world's oldest national broadcaster, and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees.