Burkina Faso junta secretly held and abused journalist Atiana Serge Oulon: RSF

Reporters Without Borders says Burkina Faso’s junta secretly detained and abused journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, adding a new allegation to the long-running case of the missing editor.

AP reported the RSF claim on Wednesday, saying former detainees described Oulon being held in a hidden facility in Ouagadougou with harsh conditions and abuse. RSF says Oulon was taken from his home in June 2024 and that his current whereabouts remain unknown.

The junta had previously said he was conscripted into military service. RSF says that explanation was a cover for secret detention. Human Rights Watch has separately said Burkina Faso authorities have unlawfully conscripted critics and journalists as part of a wider crackdown on dissent.

The new allegation is especially significant because it suggests Oulon may have been held outside any public or acknowledged detention system. For now, there is still no independent confirmation of where he is, whether he is alive, or whether Burkinabe authorities will respond to the accusation.

The case has become a wider test of press freedom and accountability under Burkina Faso’s military rulers, who have faced repeated accusations of detaining, disappearing and coercing critics.