In a latest move to further shun and extricate herself from former colonial power France, military authorities in Mali have ordered the removal of television channel France 2 from broadcasting packages for four months over a story on the security situation in the country.
Mali’s High Authority for Communication (HAC) was miffed by a report broadcast on France 2’s evening news in January for “glorifying terrorism” by contrasting “the firepower of armed terrorist groups” with that of the Malian army, according to official documents sighted by AFP.
The authorities accused the television station of retroactively “justifying” the presence of the French anti-jihadist Barkhane force which operated in Mali until 2022, before the French troop withdrew following the deteriorating relationship between the two nations as a result of the military coups in 2020 and 2021.
In the document sent to broadcasters, the HAC cited “the serious breaches” of journalistic ethics aimed at “demolarising the troops and the population”.
It will be recalled that in 2022, popular French networks France 24 and Radio France International were suspended by Mali’s military government in similar controversial circumstances.
The military leaders has continued to tilt towards Russia both militarily and politically.
