Burkina Faso suspend French news magazine Jeune Afrique

By Edwin F -

The military junta in Burkina Faso has taken the decision to suspend the distribution of the French news magazine Jeune Afrique due to the publication of articles that have been deemed "untruthful" and have reported on tension and discontent within the country's armed forces. This suspension represents the latest development in a series of actions taken against French media since the West African nation came under military rule last year. The statement issued by the government accuses Jeune Afrique of attempting to discredit the armed forces and manipulating information in order to "spread chaos", citing two articles published within the past four days.


According to an official statement, the "transitional government" has made the responsible decision to suspend all distribution of Jeune Afrique media in Burkina Faso until further notice, effective from Monday, September 25. The government specifically points to a recent article titled "Tensions persist in Burkina Faso army", published on Monday, as the basis for this action. The statement further asserts that these unfounded claims, lacking any substantiating evidence, serve no purpose other than to undermine the national armed forces.


Jeune Afrique has responded to the ban by characterizing it as yet another assault on freedom of information in Burkina Faso. In a statement released on Tuesday, the magazine expressed its hope that the government would reconsider the ban, while also lamenting that this decision contributes to the creation of an information void in the region, particularly in Burkina Faso. It is worth noting that relations between Burkina Faso and its former colonial power, France, have been strained since the military coup in 2022.

The suspension of Jeune Afrique by Burkina Faso's military junta is the most recent action taken to suppress media outlets. In August, the junta also suspended the broadcasting of Radio France Internationale (RFI) and other French media organizations, accusing them of biased reporting. This move received widespread condemnation from press freedom groups and the international community.

The suspension of Jeune Afrique has faced criticism from press freedom groups and the international community. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has strongly condemned this action, describing it as a direct assault on press freedom. The IFJ has called on the junta to immediately lift the suspension and allow Jeune Afrique to resume its operations in Burkina Faso.

In summary, the military junta in Burkina Faso has suspended Jeune Afrique, a French news magazine, due to its publication of allegedly false articles reporting on tension and discontent within the country's armed forces. This suspension represents the latest escalation in the junta's crackdown on French media since taking control of the West African nation last year. The suspension of Jeune Afrique has been met with criticism from press freedom groups and the international community.

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