In Niger, the military junta has taken serious action against the BBC. The junta has accused the BBC of broadcasting falsehoods regarding an extremist attack, which it said killed a lot of Nigerien soldiers and civilians, and subsequently suspended broadcasts of the network for three months.
The ban was announced by Niger’s communications minister Raliou Sidi Mohamed. In a letter addressed to local radio stations rebroadcasting BBC content, he wrote that the broadcaster was disseminating “false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops’ morale.” The order came into effect immediately, suspending all BBC programs in Niger.
The controversy arose from a BBC report in Hausa that said armed attackers killed over 90 Nigerien soldiers and more than 40 civilians in attacks near the border with Burkina Faso. The report was corroborated by French broadcaster Radio France Internationale, which described the incident as a jihadi assault. However, Niger’s authorities have outright denied that any such attack occurred, saying the information published is false.
This is not the first time that the junta has cracked down on media outlets: Earlier this year, French broadcasters France 24 and RFI were banned following reports that contradicted the government’s narrative.
The larger context is a disturbing trend in Niger and its neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Mali, where following military coups, crackdowns on press freedom and political dissent have significantly increased. Analysts say the security situation has worsened in the Sahel region, with a serious increase in attacks blamed both on Islamic militants and government forces.
Many saw the junta as trying to control the narrative about the security crises that happened. Reporters Without Borders cited that the juntas usually censor the media whenever security issues or state abuses are reported in an unfavourable light.
The BBC, which has been popular in Niger mainly because of its Hausa-language programmes, has refused to comment on the suspension. Such silence demonstrates the precarious situation of media organizations in a climate of fear and repression.
Pivotal, too, the junta suspended the BBC when tension in the region became relatively high. Niger is confronted, like its neighbours, by insurgencies led by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. The military’s shift toward reliance on Russian mercenary groups for security support did nothing to stem the tide of violence that brought civilian caseloads up.
Over the last few months, the
Nigerien government has increased its rhetorical attacks against foreign media as a threat to national security. The communication minister specifically lettered the immediate halt to all BBC broadcasts, adding the state’s commitment to maintaining social order.
The case brings into sharp focus questions about the future of press freedom in Niger. With the government controlling the narrative, local and international media have their work cut out to ensure proper and balanced reporting.
The suspension has broader implications than at the BBC. This sets a perilous precedent for media operations in Niger and, indeed, across the Sahel, in a context where the government is increasingly hostile to foreign and independent media, getting reliable information on government actions and the security situation is becoming more challenging.
In the wake of these events, many onlookers are calling for Niger to be brought within an international gaze. The UN and several human rights organizations have condemned the junta’s actions, demanding it return to democratic governance and respect press freedom.
We will be following this as it unfolds. For tonight, Niger’s suspension of the BBC is a reminder of risks journalists face in conflict territories-a threat to press freedom wherever news is being made.
