The editorial boards of " Le Monde " and " Liberation " announced Sunday that the correspondents of the two French newspapers in Burkina Faso were expelled on Saturday night from this country, describing the measure as "arbitrary" and "unacceptable".

"Our correspondent in Burkina Faso, Sophie Doss, has just been expelled from the country (...) at the same time as her colleague from Liberation, Agnès Vivre," Le Monde wrote on its website.

For its part, "Liberation" said that "the punishment came and brought with it confirmation that freedom of the press in Burkina Faso is greatly threatened," explaining that her correspondent and colleague in "Le Monde" arrived "on Sunday morning to Paris."

Le Monde confirmed that it "condemns in the strongest terms this arbitrary decision that forced the two journalists to leave Ouagadougou in less than twenty-four hours." She pointed out that "Sophie Doss, like her colleague, practices independent journalism for Le Monde Africa, away from any pressure."

And she added that the newspaper's director, Jerome Vinolio, "demands the local authorities to reverse these decisions as soon as possible and immediately restore the conditions for an independent media in the country."

"Liberation" confirmed that "Agnès Vivre and Sophie Doss are two journalists of complete integrity who worked legally in Burkina Faso and have valid visas and accreditations issued by the government of Burkina Faso."

"We strongly protest these unjustified expulsions and the ban on our journalists working independently," the newspaper added.

The National Security Department summoned the two journalists to Ouagadougou on Friday and ordered them to leave Burkina Faso within 24 hours.

"Liberation" stated that "its publication of an investigation on March 27 about the circumstances of filming a video clip showing children and adolescents executed in military barracks by at least one soldier, which aroused great anger among the ruling military council in Burkina Faso."

"The government strongly condemns these manipulations, disguised by the press to tarnish the image of the country of honest men," Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, a spokesman for Burkina Faso's government, wrote after the publication of this investigation, stressing that the army operates in "strict respect for international humanitarian law."

And at the beginning of December, the ruling military in Burkina Faso stopped broadcasting Radio France Internationale (RFI), which belongs to the group that includes France 24 and France Médias Monde.