Published on social media under the title “Ibrahim Traoré’s Missing,” on the fourth anniversary of the September 30, 2022 military coup, the photo dossier seeks to document alleged abuses under Burkina Faso’s ruling junta and commemorate people activists say have been victims of repression.
The Frap, a civil society group, published a photo directory listing what it says are 86 cases of arbitrary abductions and detentions carried out by members of the military since the September 30, 2022 coup.
Titled “Ibrahim Traoré’s Missing,” the list includes the names and photographs of men and women who, according to the organisation, were detained without an officially stated reason. Some were reportedly held for a single day, while others have allegedly been missing or detained for more than three years.
According to the Frap, the 86 cases documented so far represent only the beginning of a broader list that could eventually contain at least 200 names.
Journalists, politicians and military personnel among those listed
The people featured in the directory come from different backgrounds, including journalists, political figures, trade unionists, military personnel and relatives of opposition figures.
One of the people involved in compiling the list, who requested anonymity, described the situation as widespread repression.
“Some people were allegedly abducted simply because of a comment posted on Facebook or WhatsApp,” the source said, arguing that arbitrary arrests and detentions had become increasingly common.
The allegations have not been independently verified in every individual case.
Family members also targeted, activists say
Cyberactivist Oumar Coulibaly, who went into exile in 2023 after publicly criticising the junta, said his father, Pingué, was among those detained.
Pingué, a 63-year-old retired soldier, was reportedly taken away in September 2024.
“How can they target a retired man who gave everything to this country?” Coulibaly said, expressing concern over his father’s prolonged disappearance.
The case is presented by the activists as part of a broader pattern of alleged arbitrary detention since the military takeover.
The publication of the directory comes four years after Captain Ibrahim Traoré and allied officers seized power in Burkina Faso, promising to restore security in a country facing a long-running jihadist insurgency.
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