The African Editors Forum (TAEF) has condemned deterioration of press freedom by military authorities in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

In a statement signed, yesterday, by its President, Churchill Otieno, TAEF said it observed a troubling resurgence and intensification of repression of the media in the three Sahel countries.

It said the military authorities in the aforementioned countries had effectively shut the media space, snuffed out freedom of expression and the press and had become increasingly hostile to journalists

It urged the military authorities in Burkina Faso to free and allow the media to operate and ensure the safety of all journalists in that country.

It also raised the alarm that several international media outlets, including BBC, VOA, RFI, TV5, Deutsche Welle, Radio Vatican, Le Monde, Libération, among others, had either been closed or suspended in Burkina Faso.

It said that under the watch of President Traore, an aggressive nationwide campaign to silence critical journalism and freedom of expression, and kidnapping of journalists and human rights defenders had been reported.

TAEF said that it had become common for reporters covering protests in these countries to be threatened or subjected to violence.