Malian media regulator suspends TV5Monde and LCI over security reporting

The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Mali’s media regulator to reverse its suspensions of French public broadcaster TV5Monde and private television news channel La Chaîne Info (LCI), which are the most recent outlets censored in response to coverage of security issues in the country.

“Reporting critically on the activities of Mali’s military and conflict in the country should not be grounds for censorship, which stifles access to crucial information of public interest to the Malian people and the world,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program. “Authorities should restore access to TV5Monde and LCI, as well as broadcasters Radio France Internationale and France 24, which have been suspended since 2022.”

Mali’s High Authority for Communication (HAC), the country’s media regulator, suspended TV5Monde on September 5 for three months in connection with its coverage of a military drone bombing in northern Mali, according to the broadcaster. Similarly, the HAC suspended LCI, which is owned by the TF1 Group, on August 23 for two months over “false accusations of abuses against the Malian armed forces and their Russian partners.”

The year after taking control of the country in 2021, Mali’s military government indefinitely suspended French broadcasters Radio France Internationale and France 24 for “false allegations” in connection with reporting on abuses by the country’s military.

HAC’s president, Gaoussou Coulibaly, declined CPJ’s request for comment and said TV5MONDE is free to write to the regulator to make its reaction known.