The editorial director of L'Observateur Paalga and the deputy editor-in-chief of the private daily Le Pays were kidnapped by men likely belonging to the National Intelligence Agency. No one yet knows where they have been taken.

"As he was preparing to lead the daily editorial conference on October 13, the editorial director of L'Observateur Paalga , Ousséni Ilboudo, was arrested by individuals presenting themselves as members of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR)," the private daily warned on its Facebook page. "He immediately complied with this order and was immediately taken aboard a van to a destination unknown to us," the oldest Burkinabe daily said.

"Until the time we published this dispatch, we still had no news from our editorial director," the newspaper lamented.

"Nothing seems to be holding back the military authorities anymore."

Earlier, another journalist, Michel Nana, deputy editor-in-chief of the private daily Le Pays , "was abducted around 9 a.m. by men in civilian clothes, probably from the ANR," one of his relatives told AFP, assuring that "research is underway to find out where he was taken and what he is accused of."

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) "strongly condemns these arrests and demands the immediate release of Michel Wendpouiré Nana, Ousséni Ilboudo and all the abducted journalists, including Serge Oulon," who was arrested at his home in June 2024, said the NGO's sub-Saharan Africa director, Sadibou Marong, in a response sent to AFP.

Read: In Burkina Faso, two journalists kidnapped and missing for over a year have been released

"Nothing now seems to be holding back the military authorities, who are continuing their efforts to dismantle press freedom," he said.

Two magistrates and dozens of officers missing

In addition, two magistrates from the Ouagadougou Court of Appeal "were kidnapped" and another is "missing," according to a judicial source to AFP. "Urbain Méda and Benoît Zoungrana were kidnapped respectively [on October 10 and 12], while Seydou Sanou has been missing since Saturday," the source said.

Furthermore, dozens of officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, have been arrested for over a year, accused of "conspiracy" or "attempting to destabilize republican institutions."

Read: With Ibrahim Traoré, Africa has entered the era of post-truth

In Burkina Faso , the military regime led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré , which emerged from a coup in September 2022, is regularly accused of repressing figures considered hostile to the government. Some are forcibly mobilized to fight the jihadists who are undermining the country.

In recent months, the government has released around ten people who were kidnapped or arrested and then forcibly mobilized, including journalists, civil society leaders and those close to politicians.