Faith Nyasuguta
The media regulator in Burkina Faso has banned the French broadcaster “Lci”, the all-news channel of the TF1 group, for three months, after accusing it of spreading false news on jihadist violence.
In a statement, the High Communications Council (CSC) accused LCI of saying that the jihadists were “advancing rapidly” and that government troops were using local defense force volunteers as cannon fodder to protect themselves from their assault.
Last March the military junta, which came to power with a first coup d’état in January 2022 and then replaced in September by the coup plotters of the commander Ibrahim Traore, had already imposed the suspension of the activities of the French television station “France 24” after the broadcast of an interview with the leader of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqmi), Abou Obeida Youssef al Annabi.
In a statement signed by the state spokesman, Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, it is stated that “France 24” with this interview had “offered a legitimacy space for terrorist actions and hate speech“.
On March 6, the French broadcaster released written answers given by al Annabi. “In the noble struggle launched to liberate our country from the barbarism of terrorist hordes and armed bandits, the government warns that it will be uncompromising in defending the vital interests of our people against all those who will act as a megaphone in the amplification of terrorist actions,” he said.
“France 24” and “Radio France International” were also suspended indefinitely while in April the Ouagadougou government expelled the correspondents of “Le Monde” and “Libération”.
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