Burkina Faso conscripts magistrates for acting against junta, unions say

(Reuters) - At least six Burkina Faso magistrates have been conscripted to serve in the military this month for taking action against pro-junta activists and other individuals, three unions of magistrates said in a joint statement.

The West African country's ruling military junta, which seized power in a 2022 coup, is accused of suppressing dissent by kidnapping and conscripting critics, and urging citizens to report suspicious neighbours in the name of national security.

"The magistrates' unions have determined that these magistrates have in the recent past dealt with the cases of citizens claiming to be staunch supporters of the current government," they said in the statement on Thursday.

The statement was circulated by members of the magistrates' unions among journalists on Friday.

Among those targeted are a prosecutor who had instructed police to investigate claims by local residents of forced disappearances, and a judge handling the case of a pro-junta figure who had caused a landslide that killed some 60 people, the statement added.

The military rulers have consistently declined to comment on such allegations by critics that include Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Burkina Faso's army is fighting a jihadist insurgency that has spread across the Sahel region south of the Sahara since it first took root 12 years ago. The worsening violence in the region has led to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in neighbouring Niger since 2020.

(Writing by Jessica Donati; Editing by Richard Chang)