Niger suspends French media outlets; press freedom group condemns ban

Niger's military government ordered the suspension of nine major French media organizations on Friday. The targeted outlets include AFP, France 24, Radio France Internationale (RFI), France Afrique Media, LSI Africa, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Jeune Afrique and Mediapart.

The government announced the ban through a statement read on state television. Officials said the outlets had broadcast "content likely to gravely endanger public order, national unity, social cohesion and the stability of the institutions." The authorities did not provide specific examples of problematic reporting or say how long the suspension would last.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international press freedom organization, condemned the decision. "RSF condemns a coordinated strategy to repress press freedom within the AES and calls for the immediate reversal of this abusive decision," the group said online. RSF accused the government of issuing the ban "on the basis of fabricated charges."

The suspension follows a similar move by Burkina Faso, Niger's ally in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Both countries are military-led governments that broke ties with France and have increasingly aligned with Russia. The timing also coincides with a major militant uprising in neighbouring Mali, where Tuareg rebels and Islamist groups launched coordinated attacks starting in late April to push out the junta and Russian troops.

Niger came under military rule in 2023 after a coup. The junta gained public support by tapping anti-French sentiment and blaming security forces for failing to control insurgent groups. The new government expelled French military advisers and hired Russian security companies instead. In 2025, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the coup leader, was sworn in as what the government called an interim president, scheduled to serve a five-year "transitional" term.

The Sahel remains one of the world's most unstable regions. According to the Council of Foreign Relations, 51 percent of global terrorism-related deaths occurred in the Sahel in 2024. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Chad all face serious threats from Islamist and separatist armed groups operating across borders.