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The media in Burkina Faso consists of print media and state-supported radio, news, and television stations, along with several private broadcasters with programs consisting of sports, music, cultural, or religious themes.
In Burkina Faso, the authorities have periodically announced their respect for freedom of the media; RadioDiffusion Burkina states that the country's transmission facilities are open to "all political and social sensibilities". [1] Privately owned newspapers, television, and radio stations are allowed. The Information Code of 1990 provided for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
However, there are serious exceptions to this freedom. Critics have noted that these freedoms are in some degree circumscribed by self-censorship, as the government is sensitive to criticism. A revised Information Code, implemented in 1993, allows for news outlets to be arbitrarily banned if "accused of endangering national security or distributing false news." [2] The Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC), the government's Supreme Council on Information, is charged with media oversight. Additionally, non-legal constraints on critics of the government exist.
The mission statement of the state-owned Radiodiffusion-Télévision du Burkina (RTB) declares that its broadcast networks are "adapted" to the requirements of law and democratic pluralism. It emphasizes that journalists using public mediums are obliged to "respect the principles of ethics" with regards to "objectivity and balance" in the treatment of information. [1]
In December 1998, journalist Norbert Zongo was murdered by unknown assailants, and his body burned. Since his death, the tragedy has been used by unidentified persons leaving 'warnings' to journalists and broadcast commentators critical of alleged government injustice and/or corruption.
In August 2002, police in Burkina Faso arrested Newton Ahmed Barry, editor-in-chief of the private monthly L'Evénement. Barry was held for two days before being released without charge.
Mathieu N’do, managing editor of the opposition weekly San Finna, was detained by authorities on November 5, 2004, as he was returning from Ivory Coast. His detention may have been linked to his journalistic work, which is often critical of the Burkina Faso government. In particular, N’do has been an outspoken critic of government policy in Ivory Coast where Burkina Faso has been accused of arming the rebellion. N'do was held incommunicado by Burkina Faso’s national security service in Ouagadougou until being released without charge on November 11. [3]
Since the death of Norbert Zongo, several protests regarding the Zongo investigation and treatment of journalists have been prevented or dispersed by government police and security forces. In April 2007, popular radio reggae host Karim Sama, whose programs feature songs containing societal criticism interspersed with commentary on alleged government injustice and corruption, received several death threats. [4] Sama's personal car was later burned outside the private radio station Ouaga FM by unknown vandals. [5]
In response, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) wrote to the President of the Republic, Blaise Compaoré, to request his government investigate the sending of e-mailed death threats to journalists and radio commentators in Burkina Faso who were critical of the government. [6] In December 2008, police in Ouagadougou questioned leaders of a protest march that called for a renewed investigation into the unsolved Zongo assassination. Among the marchers was Jean-Claude Meda, the president of the Association of Journalists of Burkina Faso. [7]
Telephone, and telegraph services are available to Paris and to the neighbouring countries. In 2003, there were an estimated five mainline telephones for every 1,000 people; about 12,400 people were on a waiting list for telephone service installation. The same year, there were approximately 19 mobile phones in use for every 1,000 people.
Télévision Nationale du Burkina, the government-owned television transmitting station, was established in 1963. Transmissions are made six days a week and are received only in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. The government has been establishing public viewing centers. There is also one privately operated television station. In 2003, there were an estimated 433 radios and 12 television sets for every 1,000 people. [15]
Two radio stations, one in Ouagadougou and one in Bobo-Dioulasso, are run by the government radio corporation Radiodiffusion Nationale. Broadcasts are in French and 13 indigenous languages, using both medium wave (AM) and FM frequencies. RTB also maintains a worldwide short-wave news broadcast (Radio Nationale Burkina) in the French language from the capital at Ouagadougou using a 100Kw transmitter on 4.815 and 5.030 MHz. [16]
There are also several independent radio stations, as well as foreign radio services such as the BBC and Radio France Internationale (RFI 1 - Afrique) using satellite feeds. As of 2002, there were 3 AM and 17 FM radio stations, including:
17 FMs, including:
3 stations
3 stations (as of 2002)
In 2003, there were 2.1 personal computers for every 1,000 people. 4 of every 1,000 people had access to the Internet. There were two secure Internet servers in the country in 2004.
Burkina Faso, officially the Republic of Burkina Faso, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It covers an area of around 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) and is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north and west; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo to the southeast; Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. The July 2019 population estimate by the United Nations was 20,321,378. The country's official language of government and business is French. Roughly 50% of the population speaks the Mossi language natively. Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), the country was renamed "Burkina Faso" on 4 August 1984 by erstwhile President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabé. Its capital is Ouagadougou.
Telecommunications in Burkina Faso include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Transport in Burkina Faso consists primarily of road, air and rail transportation. The World Bank classified country's transportation as underdeveloped but noted that Burkina Faso is a natural geographic transportation hub for West Africa.
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural, and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 2,200,000 in 2015. The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais. The spelling of the name Ouagadougou is derived from the French orthography common in former French African colonies.
Norbert Zongo, also known under the pen name of Henri Segbo or H.S., was a Burkinabé investigative journalist who managed the newspaper L'Indépendant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Under Zongo's supervision, L'Indépendant exposed extortion and impunity within the government of Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré. Zongo was assassinated after his newspaper began investigating the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of Compaoré.
The music of Burkina Faso includes the folk music of 60 different ethnic groups. The Mossi people, centrally located around the capital, Ouagadougou, account for 40% of the population while, to the south, Gurunsi, Gurma, Dagaaba and Lobi populations, speaking Gur languages closely related to the Mossi language, extend into the coastal states. In the north and east the Fulani of the Sahel preponderate, while in the south and west the Mande languages are common; Samo, Bissa, Bobo, Senufo and Marka. Burkinabé traditional music has continued to thrive and musical output remains quite diverse. Popular music is mostly in French: Burkina Faso has yet to produce a major pan-African success.
Education in Burkina Faso is structured in much the same way as in the rest of the world: primary, secondary, and higher education. As of 2008, despite efforts to improve education, the country had the lowest adult literacy rate in the world (25.3%).
Founded in 1974, the University of Ouagadougou is in the area of Dagnöen Nord in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It was officially renamed in 2015 as l’Université Ouaga 1 Professeur Ki-Zerbo. The UO consists of seven Training and Research Units (UFR) and one institute.
According to the Government of Burkina Faso, 433,778 tourists visited the country in 2011.
Articles related to Burkina Faso include:
Société Nationale d'électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL) is the national electricity company of Burkina Faso. The company represents Burkina Faso in the West African Power Pool.
Football is the most popular sport in Burkina Faso. And the national association can look back on recent developments with a great deal of pride. Reaching the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations on home soil in 1998, qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship in the UAE in 2003, and appearances at two final competitions of the CAF U-17 Cup, as well as third place at the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Trinidad & Tobago in 2001 are Burkina Fasos outstanding achievements at international level. The nations most famous players include Kassoum Ouegraogo, nicknamed Zico, who had his most successful seasons with Espérance de Tunis before ending his career in Germany, Siaka Ouattara, who spent his entire career with Mulhouse in France, and Moumouni Dagano, who was voted best African player in Belgium in 2001, when he played for the Belgian side Genk. He later went on to play for the French side Guingamp before transferring to another French team, FC Sochaux in 2005. Burkina Faso received an unexpected free pass into the group stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification process, when their opening round contestant, the Central African Republic, withdrew from the competition. This gave the West Africans, who were at that stage ranked 14th on the continent, the certainty that their name would be in the hat when the Preliminary Draw for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was made. They got off to a flying start, beating Ghana 1-0 in their opening match and laying down a marker for their Group 2 adversaries South Africa, Cape Verde Islands, Congo DR and Uganda. The victory train began to come off the rails with two defeats to Cape Verde, and with a record of two wins and three losses, Burkina Faso were up against it at the half-way stage. Frenchman Bernard Simondi took over the coaching reins from Ivica Todorov and made the team harder to beat at home, even recording wins over South Africa and Congo DR, but in the end it was not quite enough, and the likes of Abdoulaye Cisse, Moumouni Dagano, and Wilfred Sanou went no further in the competition.
Ouaga FM is a radio station in Burkina Faso. It is transmitted in the French language on 105.2 MHz FM in the capital town Ouagadougou and in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second city, on 101.1 MHz.
The Radio Télévision du Burkina is the national broadcaster of the West African state of Burkina Faso. Radio Télévision du Burkina is headquartered in the capital city Ouagadougou.
Media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated.
The University of Koudougou is one of three public universities in Burkina Faso. It is located in the city of Koudougou. As of 2015/2016 it had the second highest enrollment of students nationally (16.2%) behind the University of Ouagadougou which had 32.8% of the national total enrollment. The University Ouaga 2, the University of Bobo-Dioulasso and the "Institut des Sciences (IDS)" had 13.2%, 11.3%, and 1.9% of total university enrollment, respectively. The remaining 24.5% of enrollment are in private universities. The university was founded in 2005 and in 2015/2016 had 15,346 students.;
The Le Balai Citoyen is a political grassroots movement in Burkina Faso, which was part of the opposition against President Blaise Compaoré. It was co-founded by two musicians, reggae artist Sams’K Le Jah and rapper Serge Bambara ("Smockey") in the Summer of 2013. They organized several protests in early 2014, for example hosting a joint rally with the newly formed Movement of People for Progress, filling a 35,000-capacity sports stadium to its rafters.
Victor Démé was a Burkinabé musician and singer-songwriter originating from a Mandinka family. His death was caused by a bout of malaria.
Stanislas Ouaro is a Burkinabé politician and mathematician.
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