- Burkina Faso’s Government Suspended The French News Magazine Jeune Afrique on Monday,
- Says “untruthful” articles were published by the magazine.
The suspension is the latest escalation in a crackdown on French media since Burkina Faso fell under military rule last year. The junta has accused the French media of seeking to discredit the armed forces and of manipulating information to “spread chaos” in the country.
Jeune Afrique has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Relations between Burkina Faso and its former colonizer France have soured in recent years, due to frustrations over worsening insecurity linked to a jihadist insurgency. The tensions have led to the expulsion of French diplomatic officials, including the French ambassador to the country, and a backlash against foreign media.
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The junta has already suspended French-funded broadcasters Radio France Internationale and France24 for allegedly giving voice to Islamist militants staging an insurgency across the Sahel region south of the Sahara. Both publications denied the accusations.
French television channel La Chaine Info, of private broadcaster TF1, was suspended for three months in June for airing a report on the insurgency that “lacked objectivity”. TF1 declined to comment at the time.
In April, two French journalists working for newspapers Le Monde and Liberation were expelled from the country. Liberation said the suspension was unjustified, as the two journalists were of “perfect integrity” and had all their paperwork in order.
The suspension of Jeune Afrique is a further blow to media freedom in Burkina Faso. The junta’s actions are raising concerns that it is trying to silence critical voices and create an information vacuum.