Ouagadougou: The pen has fallen silent, but the echo of his voice will long resonate in the memory of the Burkinabe. Yacouba Traoré, veteran journalist, prolific writer, and former director general of Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB), died on the night of August 16 to 17, 2025, at the Bogodogo University Hospital, at the age of 66. His disappearance leaves a huge void in a media world that he helped shape with rigor and passion.According to Burkina Information Agency, Yacouba Traoré was born on October 26, 1959, in Dédougou. He understood early on that journalism was more than a job: it was a mission. Recruited as a reporter during the August 1983 Revolution, he rose through the ranks with humility and determination, becoming editor-in-chief in 1992, director of National Television in 2005, and later director general of RTB in 2009. Between 1996 and 2001, he represented Burkina Faso in France as a press attaché at the embassy.His family and students remember a man deeply committed to ethics, kee n to share his knowledge and demanding in his teaching. "Journalism," he often said, "is not just a profession, it is a responsibility to the public and to the truth." He embodied this motto on screen as well as in his training rooms.Holder of a Master's degree in Modern Literature and a DEA in Information and Communication Sciences from Paris, Traoré became involved in teaching at the Institute of Information and Communication Sciences and Technology (ISTIC) in 2003. Even after his retirement, he continued to return, driven by the desire to educate the next generation. Many remember his passionate lessons, his firm but kind advice, and his focus on fair, balanced, and responsible information.Beyond teaching, Yacouba Traoré has left his mark on the practice of Burkinabe journalism. In a tense security context, he constantly challenged editorial offices on their role, emphasizing that security issues have their place in specialized sections, handled with professionalism and a sense of responsibility.A la te but prolific writer, he published six books that will remain as landmarks for young journalists. Among them, "Journalism Explained to My 16-Year-Old Daughter" and "Good Evening and Thank You for Following Us," testimonies of a man who believed in the power of the media to educate, inform, and bring people together.A man of culture, a sports enthusiast, and a film fan, he combined open-mindedness with intellectual curiosity. In 2025, his reputation as a builder and connoisseur led him to chair the organizing committee for the fiftieth anniversary of FESPACO, a national and international recognition of his expertise.Yacouba Traoré was a visionary to the very end. Founder of the web TV channel Fadima, he understood that digital technology was an opportunity for African media, but that innovation should never sacrifice the fundamental values of the profession.The government hailed him as a "great figure of the press," and his students as a caring teacher. But beyond the titles and tributes, he will be re membered as a man who believed in the power of words and the nobility of a profession that is too often misunderstood.With his passing, Burkina Faso loses a landmark, but his legacy will live on in every journalist he trained, in every book he wrote, and in every citizen he helped to enlighten.
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