Inside Burkina Faso’s BIR-C: the cyber militia targeting journalists via disinformation and online harassment
Published on: Wednesday 22 July 2026
An online militia linked to Burkina Faso’s ruling junta is carrying out coordinated attacks against journalists and others who criticise the military dictatorship, combining pro-regime propaganda and disinformation with cyber harassment. Among its recent targets is Yousra Elbagir, the British-Sudanese reporter for Sky News. This Reporters Without Borders (RSF) investigation reveals how the Rapid Communication Intervention Battalion (BIR-C) operates and the actors lurking behind it — including Burkina Faso’s defence minister.
News source: https://rsf.org/en/inside-burkina-faso-s-bir-c-cyber-militia-targeting-journalists-disinformation-and-online
