European Union and France condemn the suspension of France 24 in Burkina Faso

The European Union and France condemned on Monday Burkina Faso’s decision to suspend France 24 television over an interview with an al-Qaeda leader in the Islamic Maghreb.

For the European Union, the allegations leveled by the ruling military junta in Burkina Faso against the media outlet were “serious”.

The comparison, made by Burkina Faso government spokesman France 24, to a “terrorist communications agency” is “a serious and completely unfounded accusation, given the channel’s overall professionalism,” said Peter Stano, spokesman for European diplomacy Josep Borrell.

According to the spokesperson, “Since the suspension of radio station RFI in December 2022, the Burkina Faso authorities have been sending very negative signals to their compatriots, many of whom listen and appreciate these means of communication.”

“The fight against terrorism is compatible with freedom of the press and freedom of information, which are essential elements of a peaceful and democratic society, and should not be used as an excuse to restrict the work of independent media and journalists,” Borrell continued.

The French authorities also expressed regret this Monday that the military junta of Burkina Faso suspended the broadcast of the TV channel after publishing an interview with the leader of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abu Ubaida Youssef al Anabi.

In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry stressed its “enduring commitment” to freedom of the press, freedom of expression and the protection of journalists and all those who promote free and pluralistic information.

Burkina Faso’s ruling junta stopped broadcasting France 24 in its territory after an interview with the head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), accusing the channel of offering “a space to legitimize terrorist activities and incite hatred to serve evil purposes”. this organization in Burkina Faso”.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has entered a spiral of violence perpetrated by terrorist groups linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which, according to NGOs, have already resulted in the deaths of a total of 10,000 civilians and military personnel and about two million displaced people. People. .

Relations with France deteriorated after Captain Ibrahim Traore came to power. In January, Ouagadougou authorities demanded and secured the withdrawal of France’s Saber unit, a contingent of 400 special forces to fight terrorism in the Sahel region.

Following the announcement of France 24’s broadcast suspension, Burkina Faso government spokesman Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo expressed “regret” at “seeing that the head of a terrorist organization like AQIM, recognized as such by the entire international community, could benefit from important bodies , such as France 24, to express themselves on the channel’s radio station”.

“It should be remembered that this organization is pursuing the line of jihadist terrorism and is responsible for heinous crimes that shock human conscience and have resulted in thousands of victims around the world,” he recalled, before condemning that AQIM “fuels the violence and barbarism of terrorists.” attacks on the civilian population of Shael”.

In this sense, he stressed that the terrorist group “has terrible plans” for Burkina Faso, and stated that by giving him this interview, France 24 not only acts as a communication agency for terrorists, but also offers space for legitimation their acts of terrorism and incitement to hatred”.

In response, the French channel stated that it had learned of the decision from a government statement and stressed that it “regrets this decision and rejects unfounded allegations that cast doubt on the professionalism of the channel.” The channel indicates that he “did not speak directly” to the AQIM leader and added that he “delivered his statements in a timeline that allowed for the necessary distance and context.”