Advocacy group condemns Niger suspension of nine French media outlets

An international advocacy group condemned Niger’s suspension of nine French media outlets, saying the charges are fabricated and intended to suppress independent reporting. The National Observatory of Communication, Niger’s media regulator, said in a statement released late Friday that the suspension was needed “to preserve peace, social cohesion and the stability of institutions,” citing what it described as repeated broadcasts likely to endanger public order.

Reporters Without Borders said Niger’s charges were “fabricated” in a post on X, and it called the decision part of what it described as a “coordinated strategy to repress press freedom.” The group urged Niger to reverse the suspension.

The regulator said the affected outlets included France 24, RFI, France Afrique Média, LSI Africa, AFP, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Jeune Afrique, and Mediapart. In its statement, the observatory said the outlets had “repeatedly broadcasting content likely to seriously endanger public order” and that the broadcasts undermined morale among defense and security forces working in the region.

Niger is ruled by a military leadership that seized power and says it is focused on improving security for citizens. The AP report said Niger, along with neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, has cut ties with France and other Western powers, formed its own security alliance, and turned to Russia for military support to combat extremist insurgencies.

Analysts have said the security situation across Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened in recent times, including a record number of attacks by Islamic extremists. In January, militants attacked an air force base in Niger’s capital, Niamey, killing four soldiers, according to the report.

The Niger military ruler Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani accused presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of supporting the armed group behind the attack, and the AP report said Niger did not provide evidence to support that allegation. The AP also said military leaders in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have cracked down on political dissent and journalists.

Niger’s media regulator did not specify how long the suspensions would last, and it did not provide detailed examples of the content that prompted the decision, according to the report.