Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, the Central Sahel countries each governed by military authorities that came to power through coups, are confronted by an armed conflict and a humanitarian crisis. Against this backdrop, the media face unprecedented repression, with the authorities imposing an increasingly restrictive legal framework and seeking to silence criticism and suppress information on the armed conflict. Domestic and foreign media outlets have been suspended, while journalists have been prevented from doing their jobs, arrested and imprisoned. Media trade associations have been dissolved, and foreign correspondents expelled. In Burkina Faso, four journalists and columnists were forcibly conscripted in a targeted manner into the army in 2024, and the fate of one of them remains unknown. Amnesty International spoke to three journalists from the Central Sahel who described what journalism has become since the military took power in their countries.…