Burkinabe exiles in Ivory Coast flee Captain Traoré's junta
Burkinabe citizens, including a judicial actor and three journalists, have sought refuge in Ivory Coast to escape the authoritarian junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in September 2022. The regime is accused of repressing dissenting voices, targeting civil society, military personnel, and even its own supporters who express disagreement. Their departure was difficult, and their return remains uncertain. They are attempting to integrate into Ivory Coast's large Burkinabe community, which includes over 72,000 refugees. Boukary, a judicial actor, fled after being conscripted into the army to fight jihadist groups, a move he believes was punitive due to a case involving a relative of Traoré. He left clandestinely and was later joined by his family in Ivory Coast, which he considers the safest neighboring country, unlike Mali and Niger, also under putschist rule. Adama, a journalist, also fled after learning of his forced enlistment, stating that press freedom no longer exists in Burkina Faso under what he describes as an "implacable tyranny." He continues to practice journalism discreetly in Ivory Coast. Ousmane, another journalist, arrived in late 2023 and now uses a pseudonym due to ongoing threats and judicial persecution. He believes his exile is a form of resistance and will only return if political violence ceases and democracy is restored. Salifou, a journalist who left in early 2024, has not sought journalistic work in Ivory Coast, fearing abduction if
