Reporters without Borders, a media organization, has issued a report cautioning that the Sahel region is perilous for journalists and that there is a high chance of abduction.
“The deterioration of the state of the media in Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali has been exacerbated by military coups,” the report adds, saying that this is creating an environment of “controlled media”.
In addition, it mentions a “hostile atmosphere” for journalists brought on by regulations that restrict press freedom.
The report underlines the frequent attacks by extremists and continues by stating that “threats, the risk of kidnapping, even assassination, have become part of the daily life of journalists in the region.”
French journalist Olivier Dubois, who had been held captive in Mali for nearly two years by a group associated with al-Qaeda, was just recently freed in a high-profile case.