New attack on press freedom in Burkina Faso. The ruling junta announced, Monday evening, September 25, the suspension of "all broadcasting media" of the media Jeune Afrique, accusing it of having published "false" articles according to which the country's army was undermined by tensions and discontent.

The "transitional government" has "thus decided in full responsibility to suspend until further notice all media of broadcasting Jeune Afrique in Burkina Faso as of Monday, September 25," wrote in a statement the spokesman of the government and Minister of Communication, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo.

The junta justifies its decision by the publication of a new article "lying on the website of the newspaper Jeune Afrique, entitled: 'In Burkina Faso, still tensions within the army, published Monday. " This publication follows a previous article of the newspaper on the same site", published Thursday, "in which Jeune Afrique alleged that 'In Burkina Faso, discontent rises in the barracks'", adds the minister.

According to the government, "these intentional assertions without the shred of evidence have the sole purpose of discrediting the national armed forces and beyond all the fighting forces".

See alsoArmed groups, juntas... RSF condemns dangers of journalism in Sahel

Several French media, including France 24, already suspended in the country

The move comes nearly a year after Captain Ibrahim Traoré came to power in a coup, the second in eight months. Burkina Faso shares several of its borders with two countries also ruled by the military, who came to power by force: Mali since 2020, and Niger since late July.

In June, the Burkinabe authorities announced the suspension of the French channel LCI for three months, after expelling correspondents from the French dailies Libération and Le Monde in April.

At the end of March, they ordered the indefinite suspension of the television channel France 24, after suspending RFI in December 2022, two French public media accused of having relayed messages from jihadist leaders.

Burkina Faso also suspended a national radio station for a month in August, accused of interviewing an opponent of Niger's military regime.

How to continue to follow France 24 in Burkina Faso? © Graphic Studio France World Media

With AFP

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