Atiana Serge Oulon, editor-in-chief of the investigative newspaper L’Événement, was reportedly abducted by unidentified individuals in June 2024 after publicly criticizing restrictions on press freedom in Burkina Faso. Since his disappearance, his family, colleagues, and legal representatives have received no official information regarding his whereabouts or legal status. Human rights organizations have expressed grave concern, warning that his case bears the hallmarks of an enforced disappearance and reflects the increasingly hostile environment facing journalists and independent media in the country.
The disappearance of Oulon has drawn widespread condemnation from international human rights and press freedom organizations. Groups including Amnesty International, Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders have called on the authorities to disclose his whereabouts and ensure his safety. Under international human rights law, enforced disappearance constitutes a serious violation that infringes upon the rights to liberty, security of person, due process, and protection from arbitrary detention. It also creates a chilling effect on freedom of expression and undermines the ability of journalists to report independently without fear of retaliation.
As Human Rights Defenders, we are deeply concerned by the disappearance of Atiana Serge Oulon and the shrinking civic space in Burkina Faso. We call on the authorities to immediately disclose his whereabouts, guarantee his physical and psychological safety, and ensure that he has prompt access to legal counsel and his family. We further urge the authorities of Burkina Faso to immediately disclose Atiana Serge Oulon’s whereabouts, conduct a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into his disappearance, hold those responsible accountable, and fulfill their obligations under international human rights law to protect freedom of expression, press freedom, and the safety of all journalists.
References
- https://rsf.org/en/burkina-faso-deafening-silence-government-after-atiana-serge-oulon-s-kidnapping-alleged-members
- https://cpj.org/2024/07/three-journalists-disappear-3-media-outlets-suspended-in-burkina-faso/
- https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-faso-newspaper-suspends-publication-after-reported-abduction-journalist-2024-08-15/
- https://cpj.org/2024/10/burkina-faso-confirms-conscription-of-3-journalists-1-still-missing/
- https://rsf.org/en/sent-front-behind-official-narrative-abuse-inflicted-journalist-atiana-serge-oulon-secret-prison
- https://rsf.org/en/burkina-faso-prominent-journalist-atiana-serge-oulon-forcibly-disappeared-two-years
- https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/22/burkina-faso-prominent-journalist-forcibly-disappeared-2-years-on
