France Médias Monde, the parent company of RFI and France 24, regrets this announcement.
Article written
Published on 17.03.2022 11:07 Updated on 17.03.2022 14:51
Reading time: 1 min.
The Malian junta ordered the night of Wednesday 16 March to Thursday 17 March to suspend broadcasts of RFI and France 24 in Mali due to what it said were “false allegations” of abuses committed by the Malian army. two French media outlets, the government said in a statement.
The Government of Mali “categorically rejects these false accusations against the valiant Fama” (Mali Armed Forces) and “undertakes the procedure (…) to suspend until further notice the broadcast of RFI (…) and France 24”, clarifies the statement signed by Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga , a government spokesman, and sent by AFP. Broadcasts of the two media outlets continued on Thursday morning, AFP notes.
— President of Mali (@PresidenceMali) March 17, 2022
The Malian government specifically targeted the report, in which RFI gave the floor to alleged victims of abuses allegedly perpetrated by the Malian army and the private Russian Wagner group. The junta “categorically denies these accusations against the valiant Fama”, clarifies the communiqué of Colonel Maiga, which compares the actions of the two French media outlets “with the practice and shameful role of radio Mille Collin”. who encouraged the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
This suspension of two major foreign media outlets has no recent precedent in Mali. RFI and France 24, which cover African news closely, are very popular in Mali.
France Médias Monde, the parent company of RFI and France 24, takes note and regrets this statement: “France Médias Monde recalls its commitment to freedom of information and the professional and balanced work of its journalistic teams.”
The French Foreign Ministry denounced “serious infringements on freedom of the press” and expressed “concern at serious allegations of abuse” reported by RFI and France 24 and disputed by the junta. The European Union considered the suspension of two media outlets “unacceptable”.