A selection of Elsa Buchanan’s reporting, photo essays and communications work, drawn from field assignments and collaborations across the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Covering conflict, human rights and humanitarian issues, the work combines on-the-ground reporting with specialist analysis.
Human Impact
Stories exploring how conflict shapes daily life, from displacement and education to livelihoods, environment, and long-term recovery.
Conflict & Security
Reporting on frontlines, weapons, and military dynamics, examining how conflict is fought and sustained in complex environments.
Accountability & Rights
Investigations and reporting examining violations, legal accountability, and the human rights dimensions of conflict and crisis.
Health & Humanitarian
Reporting on healthcare, humanitarian response, and the long-term impact of conflict on communities, from emergency care to recovery and resilience.
Kenya: Human-rights defenders investigating violations in Burundi have received death threats
This exclusive investigation revealed that human rights defenders documenting alleged abuses linked to Burundi's political crisis had received death threats while working in exile. Supported by interviews and direct evidence of threatening messages, the report examined the risks faced by activists attempting to document violations, the shrinking space for independent monitoring, and growing concerns for the safety of those gathering evidence of abuses committed during the crisis.
Burundi: Activists warn of a 'death squad' in Kenya after exiled politician is 'executed'
Following the assassination of an exiled Burundian opposition figure in Kenya, this exclusive investigation examined allegations that political violence linked to Burundi's crisis was extending beyond the country's borders. Drawing on interviews with exiled activists, human rights defenders and regional sources, the report explored fears of targeted attacks against dissidents and claims that security agencies were investigating the presence of a covert network targeting Burundian opponents abroad.
Burundi: Bujumbura lockdown amid fear of war erupting after deadly attacks on army barracks
As Bujumbura entered lockdown following coordinated attacks on military installations, this live report combined exclusive updates from sources across the Burundian capital with on-the-ground analysis of a rapidly deteriorating security situation. Reporting amid fears that the political crisis was tipping into armed conflict, the coverage tracked clashes, military deployments, civilian fears and the uncertainty gripping a city bracing for further violence.
Burundi: Information sheets asking for teachers' 'ethnic group' worries civilians
This exclusive investigation revealed concerns surrounding a Ministry of Education survey that asked Burundian teachers to disclose their ethnic identity, prompting alarm among citizens, journalists and civil society observers. Through interviews with local sources and documentary evidence, the report examined fears that the collection of ethnic data echoed practices associated with past periods of ethnic violence and heightened tensions during Burundi's escalating political crisis.
Battle for control of the DRC: Who are the armed groups killing for land, resources, and ethnicity?
A detailed analysis of the armed groups shaping conflict dynamics in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Through expert interviews and regional research, the report explores the origins, objectives and funding networks of the militias and rebel factions driving instability, highlighting the political, ethnic and economic forces behind one of Africa's most complex security crises.
Lebanon: Doctors warn of spread of cholera in refugee camps as rubbish crisis intensifies
Reporting from Beirut during Lebanon's escalating waste crisis, this exclusive story examined growing warnings from doctors and aid workers that mounting rubbish and poor sanitation could trigger disease outbreaks in vulnerable communities. Focusing on refugee camps and informal settlements, the report highlighted concerns over cholera, public health risks and the disproportionate impact of infrastructure failures on displaced populations already living in precarious conditions.
Lebanon 'You Stink' protests: Government sends armed vehicles as protesters stage ministry sit-in
Reporting from Beirut during the height of the "You Stink" movement, this exclusive story examined growing pressure on Lebanon's environment minister as protesters demanded accountability for the country's waste management crisis. Supported by exclusive footage recorded outside the Ministry of Environment, the report documented escalating tensions between demonstrators and security forces as a local grievance evolved into a nationwide challenge to political dysfunction and corruption.
Lebanon 'You Stink' protests: Meet the man behind the 'Beirut Wall' art
Amid Lebanon's 2015 "You Stink" protest movement, this exclusive profile followed the street artist whose murals became a powerful symbol of public frustration with corruption, political paralysis and failing public services. Reporting from Beirut, the story explored how art became a form of resistance, transforming city walls into a canvas for dissent during one of Lebanon's most significant civic movements.
Lebanon You Stink protests: We are not Egypt, claims activist Michel Elefteriades
In an exclusive interview in Beirut during Lebanon's "You Stink" protest movement, cultural entrepreneur and political commentator Michel Elefteriades reflected on corruption, governance and the future of civic activism in Lebanon. As demonstrators challenged political elites over a mounting waste crisis, he argued that Lebanon's unique political landscape required a different path to reform than the uprisings that had swept other parts of the Arab world.
Burundi: 'You are young and must fight' - How rebel touts manipulate young men toward armed conflict
Through interviews with Burundian refugees, this investigation exposed how rebel networks targeted young men inside and around UN-run camps in Rwanda for recruitment into conflict. The reporting raised concerns among NGOs and UN actors about protection failures in sites meant to offer refuge.
Burundi: Dissidents ready for war with £4 grenades and £40 Kalashnikovs
Based on on-the-ground reporting in Bujumbura, this investigation documents how opposition groups and civilians began arming themselves amid escalating political unrest, with weapons openly circulating through informal networks. The piece reveals how access to arms and shifting loyalties contributed to the rapid deterioration toward conflict.
Burundi: Life behind the barricades after Bujumbura protests [Photo report]
A photographic journey into some of Bujumbura's most volatile neighbourhoods during Burundi's 2015 political crisis. Hidden behind makeshift barricades erected to protect residents from deadly security force raids, civilians navigated a landscape of fear, distrust and uncertainty as violence escalated following protests against President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial third-term bid.
Burundi: Catholic church youth group helps refugees 'hunted down' by police
Reporting from secret safe houses in Kigali, this exclusive investigation followed Burundian refugees who fled across the border after being targeted during the country's political crisis. Assisted by members of a Catholic youth network, those interviewed described a climate of fear, persecution and arbitrary violence as security forces intensified operations against perceived opponents of President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial third-term bid.
Burundi: Mothers fear children will go hungry as shattered economy reels from months of violence
Reporting from Bujumbura as Burundi's political crisis deepened, this exclusive story explored the hidden economic toll of months of unrest. As businesses closed, jobs disappeared and food prices rose, mothers described struggling to feed their families, revealing how ordinary civilians were bearing the brunt of a crisis increasingly defined by fear, uncertainty and economic collapse.
Burundi: Torture victim 'forced to hang 5-litre jerry can from his testicles'
Content Warning: Torture. Reporting from Bujumbura during the height of Burundi's political crisis, this exclusive investigation documented allegations of torture committed against a young Burundian man accused of supporting the opposition. Through interviews with the survivor, medical and psychological professionals, and human rights defenders, the report examined the use of torture, fear and intimidation as violence escalated across the country following President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial third-term bid.
Burundi: Opposition activist allegedly shot in wave of violence since President Nkurunziza poll victory
Reporting from Kinama, one of Bujumbura's most volatile neighbourhoods, this exclusive story documented the aftermath of the killing of an opposition activist as Burundi's political crisis spiralled into violence. Through first-hand reporting and interviews with relatives and residents, the article examined growing fears of politically motivated attacks, impunity and the escalating human cost of President Pierre Nkurunziza's disputed third-term bid.
Burundi: President satisfied by election results but would have liked to do better, says Presidential adviser
In an exclusive interview in Bujumbura, a senior presidential adviser and spokesperson for President Pierre Nkurunziza defended the government's handling of Burundi's disputed 2015 election and mounting political crisis. Conducted as allegations of abuses by security forces and the ruling party's Imbonerakure youth wing intensified, the interview offered a rare opportunity to question one of the government's most influential voices during a pivotal moment in the country's descent into violence.
Burundi: Who are the feared Imbonerakure youth?
As Burundi's political crisis deepened, this reported analysis examined the rise of the Imbonerakure, the ruling party's powerful youth wing, and growing allegations linking its members to intimidation, violence and abuses against perceived opponents. Drawing on interviews with activists, civilians, refugees and regional observers, the story explored how a political youth movement became one of the most feared actors in Burundi's rapidly deteriorating security landscape.
Burundi genocide fear: Government youth militia Imbonerakure threatens to kill Tutsi refugees
Reporting during the early stages of Burundi's political crisis, this exclusive investigation documented testimonies from refugees who said they had fled threats, intimidation and violence linked to the ruling party's Imbonerakure youth wing. Through interviews with displaced Burundians and regional observers, the report examined growing fears that political unrest was taking on an increasingly dangerous ethnic dimension, raising alarm among communities still haunted by the legacy of mass violence in the Great Lakes region.
Burundi press freedom: Terrified local journalists claim to be on a government hit-list
As Burundi's political crisis intensified, this exclusive investigation documented the fears of local journalists who believed they had been targeted because of their reporting. Through interviews with media workers operating under increasing pressure, the story examined threats, intimidation and the collapse of press freedom as independent journalists faced growing risks while attempting to cover one of the country's most dangerous periods of political unrest.