Burkina Faso shuts down access to several news sites, including “Le Monde” and the TV5 Monde channel

Access to seven online information platforms including Monde, The television channel TV5 Monde has been suspended in Burkina Faso, according to a press release from the Burkinabe Communications Authority.

The Supreme Council of Communications (CSC) has decided “Suspension of TV5 Monde international television programs in Burkina Faso for two weeks”, he said in a press release obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday, April 28. The organization has also decided “Access to the websites of TV5 Monde, Deutsche Welle, Ouest-France, LeMonde.fr, Apanews, The Guardian and AgenceEcofin from the territory of Burkina Faso has been suspended until further notice”.

The new series of suspensions comes two weeks after British and American radio stations BBC and Voice of America (VOA) Like these two media outlets, the CSC justified the new suspensions by airing content from a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) that said the Burkinabe army was fighting armed jihadist groups. “At least 223 civilians, including at least 56 children, were hanged in two villages on February 25”.

“Open and serious statements against the Burkinabe military”

CSC says it has “In the contents published in these various media, without any warning, open and serious statements against the Burkinabe army were found”what “Creating disinformation that discredits Burkinabe military”.

In a press release on Saturday regarding the HRW report, Burkinabe Communications Minister Rimdalba Jean-Emmanuel Otrogo said, “Burkina Faso strongly rejects and condemns such baseless allegations”.

“Nodin and Sorrow's murders lead to judicial inquiry”, He adds in amazement “While this investigation is ongoing to clarify the facts and identify their perpetrators, HRW has been able to identify the “criminals” through imagination and announce its verdict”. Mr. Ouédraogo believes that “The media campaign around these allegations clearly shows the illegitimate intention of these authors, which is to defame our fighting forces who are engaged in the field of honor, risking their lives, defending the territory and protecting the people and their security. Asset against terrorist attacks ».

Jihadi violence

There can be no armed forces “At the same time those who commit the infamous acts alleged against these same people”, he says. The spokesperson said, “All allegations of human rights violations and abuses in the fight against terrorism are properly investigated” Government and UN for human rights. Office of the High Commissioner also followed.

These new suspensions follow temporary or permanent suspensions taken against a number of foreign media – mainly French – since Captain Ibrahim Drey took office in September 2022.

Burkina Faso has been led by a military regime since 2022, the result of two coups, one in January and the other in September. Since 2015, it has faced jihadist violence attributed to armed movements affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, which has killed around 20,000 people and displaced more than two million internally.