The Burkinabe military junta has banned the broadcast of the French channel TV5 Monde, which it accuses of biased coverage of jihadist violence.

Burkina Faso bans TV5 Monde for "disinformation"
Burkina Faso bans TV5 Monde for "disinformation"

The military junta ruling Burkina Faso announced Tuesday a ban on broadcasting the French channel TV5 Monde within the country. Authorities criticized the media outlet for its coverage of jihadist violence in Burkina Faso and neighboring Mali. This decision is part of a series of restrictive measures taken against several media outlets since the coup in September 2022.

A series of media restrictions

Since the military takeover more than two years ago, the Burkinabe regime has repeatedly suspended and banned media outlets. The junta regularly accuses certain international media of disseminating what it considers disinformation and of glorifying terrorism in their coverage of the security situation in the Sahel.

Deteriorating security situation

This ban on TV5 Monde illustrates the ongoing deterioration of press freedom in Burkina Faso. The country is facing a deadly jihadist insurgency that has killed thousands and forced more than two million people to flee their homes. Military authorities justify their restrictive media policy by the need to control communication surrounding security operations.

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