Niger’s military government on Thursday announced a three-month suspension of BBC radio broadcasts across the country. The junta accused the British broadcaster of disseminating “erroneous information likely to destabilize social peace and undermine the morale of troops” engaged in counter-jihadist operations.
The suspension, effective immediately, adds the BBC to a growing list of Western media outlets sanctioned by Niger’s ruling military since its July 2023 coup. Popular BBC programs, including Hausa-language content aired via local radio partners, are now affected.
Previously, the junta had banned French broadcasters Radio France Internationale (RFI) and France 24 in August 2023. On the same day as the BBC suspension, the government announced plans to file a complaint against RFI, although it did not specify any particular broadcasts from either outlet.
The sanctions follow reports by both the BBC and RFI alleging that jihadists killed 90 soldiers and over 40 civilians in Chatoumane, near the Burkina Faso border. The junta denied the attack, calling the reports “baseless assertions” and part of a “campaign of intoxication.”
The Sahel region, encompassing Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, remains a hotspot for jihadist violence. These nations, all governed by military juntas after recent coups, have increasingly curtailed media freedoms, accusing Western outlets of bias and favoring their former colonial ruler, France.
All three nations have pivoted towards Russia for security assistance and expelled French troops from the region. In Niger’s southeast, where attacks from Boko Haram and ISWAP persist, the army occasionally issues updates on security challenges but has been critical of external media coverage.
