Mali’s Military Government Suspends French Broadcasters Amid Fuel Crisis
BAMAKO, Mali – Mali’s military government has taken two major French television channels off the air, accusing them of disseminating “false information” regarding a devastating fuel blockade imposed by an al-Qaeda-linked extremist group.
The targeted broadcasters, TF1 and its free-to-air 24-hour news channel LCI, were suspended after reporting on the ongoing crisis. Since September, the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Musilimin (JNIM) has effectively blocked the transport of fuel into the landlocked West African nation, causing severe shortages and crippling economic activity.
A government statement condemned the channels’ coverage, asserting it misrepresented the situation and the state’s response. The suspension marks a further deterioration in the already strained relations between Mali’s junta and France, the former colonial power, whose military forces withdrew from the country in 2022.
The blockade by JNIM has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation. As a landlocked country, Mali is heavily reliant on imported fuel, and the blockade has led to long queues at petrol stations, soaring black-market prices, and disruptions to transportation and essential services.
The move aligns Mali with its neighbors, Niger and Burkina Faso, which are also led by military rulers who seized power in recent years. The juntas in all three nations have justified their coups by citing the failure of previous civilian governments to contain the rampant insecurity caused by extremist insurgencies.
Despite these promises, security in the central Sahel region has continued to deteriorate. Counter-terrorism experts note that violence has escalated, with both extremist groups and national forces implicated in a rising number of attacks. This has resulted in a significant increase in civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis across the region.
The suspension of French media is seen as part of a broader pattern where the military governments in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have pivoted away from Western partners, expelling French and European forces while seeking security cooperation with Russia.
As the fuel crisis continues, the Malian junta’s decision to focus on media censorship underscores the challenging environment for both press freedom and regional stability, with populations caught between the violence of extremist groups and the authoritarian measures of their own governments.
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