This report examines the state of press freedom and freedom of expression in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Guinea, four West African countries under military-led governments that have experienced coups since 2021.
Drawing on key informant interviews, representative surveys of media professionals, and a documentary review of legislation, regulatory decisions and monitoring data from 2021 to 2026, the study traces how legal, political, security and economic pressures have combined to shrink the space for independent journalism and civic expression across the sub-region.
The findings point to a shared pattern across all four countries: constitutionally guaranteed freedoms undermined by emergency decrees and cybercrime laws, regulatory bodies captured by executive power, and journalists facing arbitrary arrests, digital surveillance, internet shutdowns and economic pressure.
Self-censorship has become the norm rather than the exception, and investigative journalism is described as virtually extinct in the region. Women journalists face compounding risks, and impunity for attacks on media professionals persists, including the unresolved forced disappearance of Guinean journalist Habib Marouane Camara.
The report concludes with practical recommendations for governments, regulatory bodies, media organisations, civil society, and regional and international partners committed to reversing the region’s democratic recession.
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