Two French media are accused by the Malian junta of broadcasting “false accusations” about abuses perpetrated by the Malian army.
After French media reported that the Malian army had been involved in civil abuses, the Malian government ordered the suspension of RFI broadcasting and France 24 broadcasting.
In a press release published this Thursday morning, the government spokesman, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga “categorically rejects these false allegations against the valiant FAMa”, The Malian armed forces. The government “undertakes a procedure (…) to suspend until further notice the broadcasting of RFI (…) and France 24”The press release is published.
AFP reported that the two media were still being received in Mali on Thursday morning.
The EU judges “unacceptable”The Malian junta’s decision to suspend RFI and France 24 broadcasts on the grounds of“unfounded accusations”A spokeswoman for European Diplomacy said this on Thursday.
“We have seen the announcements made by the Malian government to suspend RFI and France 24. This is unacceptable. We deplore this decision and the unfounded accusations.”Nabila Massrali spoke out during a press conference, expressing regret at the situation. “Flight Forward”The board
France Medias Monde, parent company of RFI & France 24, is France Medias Monde. “Takes note of this announcement and deplores it”She reacted to the antennas of her media.
This suspension of two major foreign news media is unprecedented in Mali, which has been stricken since 2012 by a political and security crisis. France 24 and RFI are closely followed in Mali, as well as throughout French-speaking Africa.
The Malian government refers on a March 14-15 RFI report in which RFI gave the floor to victims of abuses committed by the Malian army or the Russian private security group Wagner.
The press release also quotes a statement by Michèle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on March 8, denouncing “violations of international human rights and humanitarian law”Mali
Mali also denounces the report of NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW), published March 15. It denounced a “wave of civilian executions”looting by the Malian army, jihadists and central and southwestern Mali. This report was published on“at least 107 civilian deaths”Since December
HRW claims that these abuses were committed by FAMa as a retaliation to military losses suffered by jihadist groups in different incidents. At least 27 soldiers were killed in a jihadist attack on an Army Camp in Mondoro, the middle of the country.
In the past, the Mondoro camp near Burkina Faso has been attacked by jihadists who sought to overthrow the representations of either the central state or foreign presence.