Mali Suspends French Broadcasters TF1 and LCI, Escalating Media Crackdown
Mali’s media regulator has ordered the suspension of two major French television channels, LCI and TF1, accusing them of broadcasting “unverified claims and falsehoods” about the country’s security situation, according to an official decision.
Regulator Cites “Flagrant Violation” of Ethics Code
The High Authority for Communication (HAC), Mali’s media regulatory body, stated that the suspension of both channels from all broadcasting service packages is effective “until further notice.” The decision, dated Thursday, was reviewed by Agence France-Presse.
The HAC specifically cited a 12-minute segment from LCI’s “Grand Dossier” program, aired on November 9, 2025, which was later reposted on TF1’s web platform. The segment, titled “Mali, Jihadists at the Gates of Bamako” and “Mali, Al-Qaeda’s New Stronghold,” was condemned by the authority for its “alarmist tone” and content it deemed harmful to social cohesion.
According to the regulator, the report contained assertions that “the junta has banned fuel sales” and that “terrorists are close to toppling the capital,” claims the HAC labeled as a “flagrant violation of the journalistic ethics code in Mali, which requires respect for the truth.”
A Pattern of Press Restrictions Under Military Rule
This latest action continues a pattern of media suppression by Mali’s military regime, which took power following coups in 2020 and 2021. The country has increasingly taken repressive measures against both domestic and international press outlets.
The HAC noted that LCI had previously been suspended in late August 2024 for similar violations, considering the new offense an “aggravating circumstance.” Other French media have faced similar fates. France 2 was temporarily suspended in early 2024, and TV5 Monde remains suspended “until further notice” after being accused of lacking impartiality in its coverage of an opposition protest.
Several prominent French outlets, including France 24 and Radio France Internationale—which maintained significant audiences in Mali—have been permanently suspended.
Geopolitical Shift and its Impact on Media Freedom
The deteriorating relationship between Mali and France extends beyond media. The military junta that overthrew civilian president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in 2020 formally broke its longstanding alliance with France and its European partners in 2022.
This geopolitical realignment has seen Mali pivot militarily and politically toward Moscow, a shift that analysts suggest has correlated with an increasingly hostile stance toward Western, and particularly French, institutions—including media organizations.
The suspension of TF1 and LCI represents another significant step in the narrowing of Mali’s media landscape and raises further concerns about press freedom and access to independent information in the Sahelian nation.
This report is based on information from Le Monde with AFP.