Burkina Faso’s media oversight body has extended its crackdown on foreign media following their reporting on a Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigation implicating the Burkinabè army in civilian killings.
The latest action involves the suspension of operations by the French broadcaster TV-Cinq, along with the websites of Le Monde and The Guardian, as well as the German network Deutsche Welle.
This move comes shortly after the Burkinabè authorities imposed a two-week ban on the BBC and Voice of America (VOA) for their coverage of the HRW report.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Superior Council for Communication (CSC) accused the newly targeted media of spreading “disinformation likely to tarnish the reputation of the Burkinabè army.”
The media regulator also reiterated its warning to all news organizations against reporting on the HRW findings, warning of further penalties.
The HRW report, released last Thursday by the US-based organization, alleges that the Burkinabè military massacred at least 223 civilians in February in northern Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso’s authorities have dismissed the HRW report as unfounded and announced the launch of a legal investigation to determine the veracity of the claims.
