Burkina Faso Suspends France 24 Broadcasts

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The Facts

  • Burkina Faso's government on Monday suspended state-funded France 24 broadcasts in the country after the TV channel aired an interview with Yezid Mebarek, the head of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), earlier this month.

  • This comes as relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have collapsed since the military took over Burkina Faso last October, with the junta rescinding a military deal and giving France one month to withdraw its troops in January this year.


The Spin

Narrative A

As if France's failure to help its former colonies fight jihadist insurgency wasn't enough, now its state-owned France 24 media outlet is unacceptably acting as the mouthpiece for dangerous terrorists, threatening Burkina Faso and its people by giving a platform to jihadist groups. Burkina Faso’s government had no choice but to suspend France 24 in order to maintain stability in the country.

Narrative B

Burkina Faso’s government is making outrageous and defamatory remarks regarding France 24 and mischaracterizing the network’s broadcast of its interview with Abu Obeida Youssef al-Annabi. The country has a history of suppressing journalists and curbing press freedom, and it should not suspend channels without notice.


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