Niger’s military authorities have suspended the BBC for three months, accusing the broadcaster of disseminating false reports about an extremist attack allegedly resulting in the deaths of dozens of soldiers and civilians.
Communications Minister Raliou Sidi Mohamed stated the BBC was spreading “false information” designed to “destabilize social peace and undermine troop morale.” In a directive to local radio stations rebroadcasting BBC content, Mohamed ordered the suspension of all BBC programming “effective immediately.”
The BBC, whose popular Hausa-language programs are widely consumed in Niger through local partnerships, declined to comment on the decision.
The controversy stems from a BBC Hausa report on Wednesday claiming that gunmen had killed over 90 soldiers and more than 40 civilians in two villages near Niger’s border with Burkina Faso. French broadcaster Radio France International (RFI) reported a similar account, describing it as a jihadi attack and citing the same casualty figures.
Niger’s authorities denied the attack occurred, labeling the reports baseless in a statement on state television. Officials also announced plans to file a legal complaint against RFI, accusing it of “incitement to genocide.”
Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have faced ongoing insurgencies from jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State for over a decade. In recent years, military juntas in these nations have expelled French forces and sought security support from Russian mercenaries.
