Burkina Faso: When those “nostalgic for the empire” mourn the end of their media monopoly
The chorus of hand-wringers is growing louder. From Parisian salons, voices are rising to prophesy the “disappearance” of a free press in Burkina Faso. What blindness, or rather, what an admission! What these analysts from a bygone era call “being brought to heel,” the sovereign people of Burkina Faso call the decolonization of information.
They cite the suspension of certain media outlets or the “pressure” on others. But let’s ask the real questions: in whose service were these organs working?
For far too long, under the cover of a façade of “professionalism,” numerous channels were merely echo chambers for a narrative dictated from abroad, aimed at undermining the morale of the defense forces and glorifying political figures whose umbilical cord remains tied to the former colonizer.
Today, the Burkinabe press does not simply “relay” information; it participates in the war effort.
It refuses to give a platform to those who, under the pretext of activism, become the objective allies of destabilization forces.
International media, frustrated at having been cut off for their repeated lies and biased reports on alleged army “massacres,” have changed tactics.
No longer able to occupy our airwaves, they flood the web with “special” dossiers and “anguished headlines.” Their goal? To sow doubt, shatter national unity, and make communication practitioners believe that their profession is “in danger.”
But what danger are we talking about? The only danger for a Burkinabe journalist today is to betray their homeland for a few handouts from NGOs or imperialist foundations. Independence is not measured by the ability to criticize one’s own leaders in the midst of war, but by the freedom to no longer be the poodle of Western propaganda.
The new communication approach of the Burkinabe State imposes a new paradigm. Faced with coordinated attacks from AFP, RFI, France24, Jeune Afrique, and pundits on talk shows, Burkina Faso responds with combat communication.
The figure of Norbert Zongo belongs to those who fight for the integrity of the territory, not to those who use it to justify interference.
Let the nostalgics of the empire take note: in Burkina Faso, the floor now belongs to the Upright People. The curtain has fallen on the comedy of colonial impartiality.
Cédric Kaboré
