Burkina Faso: Concern over Wanted Notices issued and ongoing death threats against human rights defenders
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Burkina Faso to take immediate action to help end the ongoing online harassment campaigns against human rights defenders. On 13 June 2024, a wanted notice for criminal individuals was published anonymously on Facebook against ten persons, six of which were human rights defenders and journalists. This anonymous wanted notice states that the Burkinabe security services are actively searching for human rights defenders Touré Naïm, Inoussa Ouédraogo, Yacouba Ladji Bama, Issaka Lingani and Barry Ahmed Newton. The reason given for such searches was for false accusations of complicity with terrorist groups, treason, and complicity with mercenary groups to destabilise Burkina Faso.
Touré Naïm is an activist actively engaged in tackling the mismanagement of public funds and infringements on fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Inoussa Ouédraogo, Yacouba Ladji Bama, Issaka Lingani and Barry Ahmed Newton are four journalists who work on issues and violations touching freedom of expression, freedom of press and documenting and monitoring human rights violations in Burkina Faso.
On 13 June 2024, a wanted notice for criminal individuals was published anonymously on Facebook against ten persons, six of which were human rights defenders and journalists. This wanted notice states that the Burkinabe security services are actively searching for human rights defenders Touré Naïm, Inoussa Ouédraogo, Yacouba Ladji Bama, Issaka Lingani and Barry Ahmed Newton. The reason given for such searches was for complicity with terrorist groups, treason, and complicity with mercenary groups to destabilise Burkina Faso. The wanted notice was published by anonymous sources: "No need to tell you we’re everywhere", "we're Anonymous, we're Burkinabe, we don't forgive, we don't forget. We are among you, we eat with you. Be prepared for us”. The criminal wanted notice stated that any individual or group who contribute to apprehending or neutralizing them would receive 20 million francs per person.
The human rights defenders Touré Naïm, Inoussa Ouédraogo, Yacouba Ladji Bama, Issaka Lingani and Barry Ahmed Newton have respectively been subject to multiple instances of online harassment for their human rights defenders work.
Touré Naïm faced relentless death threats and online harassment on Facebook and Whatsapp since 2023 due to his activism, his calls for government transparency and justice and his fight against the lawlessness of officials. A video posted on Tik Tok from unknown authors described him as a terrorist and gave him the nickname “Abou Saïd”. The video called on the public to go out and look for Touré Naïm, arrest him, and send him back to Burkina Faso.
Inoussa Ouédraogo and his family have also received online harassment on Facebook and Whatsapp on several occasions, as well as threats on certain radio stations since December 2022. The human rights defender once received a threatening call, in which he was told “You have to be very careful; stop meddling in things that don't concern you. You think you're hidden away, but we know where you live”. On the night of 13 August 2023, his house and his family were placed under surveillance by the potential stalkers.
Yacouba Ladji Bama has endured ongoing online harassment and imminent death threats for the past two years due to him advocating for government accountability and campaigning against impunity. Amidst those online threats, which he received mostly through Facebook, it was posted: “a) Death is better for Ladji Bama, execution; b) Tell Ladji Bama that the government will not stop just at eliminating those against the government, they will also be burned; c) Ladji Bama, we will destroy you”.
For the past two years, Issaka Lingani has received constant threats and insults on social media, also on interactive radio and TV programs. Between June and October 2023, ten teenage internet users and activists were abducted and tortured by the death squads of the current political regime. The main goal of their interrogations was to get confessions regarding conspiracies that would implicate Issaka Lingani. During the period of June and July 2023, along with other human rights defenders and media outlets that had been the target of a significant campaign of threats and malicious calls, he established a civil society organisation named ‘Collectif des Journalistes, Activistes et Leaders d’Opinions Victimes de Menaces’ (Joola menacés) for threatened activists, journalists and human rights defenders.
Since January 2022, Barry Ahmed Newton has received death threats from supporters of the military regime in Burkina Faso, who call him "apatrid" and they have intensified by December 2022. He has been prosecuted numerous times, and is the subject of more than 8 lawsuits brought against him for his opinions and criticisms of human rights abuses and mass murders under the pretext of a fight against terrorism.
Front Line Defenders expresses its deep concern for the safety and protection of human rights defenders Touré Naïm, Inoussa Ouédraogo, Yacouba Ladji Bama, Issaka Lingani and Barry Ahmed Newton. The organization strongly condemns the recent instances of online harassment, threats, intimidation and surveillance they have been subjected to, which it believes is intended to hinder their valuable and peaceful work in defence of human rights in Burkina Faso. The organisation reminds the social media companies of their responsibility to put human rights first and ensure that their platforms are not contributing to violence and dangerous campaigns, or allowing their users to utilise them for that same purpose against human rights defenders.
Front Line Defenders urges the relevant authorities in Burkina Faso to take the necessary measures to guarantee the security and protection of all human rights defenders and reminds that all human rights defenders and journalists in Burkina Faso should carry out their human rights work in a safe environment.
