African country suspends two French news agencies

Togo’s media regulator has accused France 24 and RFI of undermining national stability through inaccurate coverage

Togo has suspended French state-funded broadcasters France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI) for three months, accusing them of repeatedly violating journalistic standards, including “impartiality, rigor, and verification of facts.”

The West African country’s High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) announced the decision on Monday, stating that content aired by the two outlets had the potential to disrupt public order and threaten the stability of Togo’s institutions.

“Several recent broadcasts have relayed inaccurate, biased, and even factually inconsistent statements, undermining the stability of republican institutions and the country’s image,” the HAAC said in a statement.

The move comes amid tensions over recent constitutional changes passed in May that granted Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe the title of President of the Council of Ministers – an unelected position with no term limit. RFI and France 24 had been covering protests by opposition parties, which denounce the change as a “constitutional coup” and accuse the government of seeking to extend Gnassingbe’s rule indefinitely.

Togo’s media regulator said it had previously warned the French outlets during last year’s constitutional reform debates over “unfair treatment of information” and the “dissemination of false news about the country.”

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“Pluralism of opinions does not allow the dissemination of untruths or the partial presentation of current events,” HAAC stated. RFI and France 24 responded jointly, saying they were “surprised” to learn of the suspension of their programming in Togo “without notice.”

“RFI and France 24 reiterate their commitment to continuing to adhere to journalistic standards, and to supporting their staff, who deliver authentic, high-quality, impartial and accurate news every day, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement signed between HAAC and France Médias Monde,” they stated.

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The broadcasters said their management stands ready to engage in dialogue with the Togolese authorities to resolve any “misunderstandings.”

Similar restrictions on Western news agencies have been imposed in recent years across several West African countries. RFI and France 24 have been banned in Niger since August 2023, accused of spreading false information. In late 2023, the Sahel state temporarily suspended BBC programming for similar reasons. In neighboring Burkina Faso, the authorities temporarily banned radio broadcasts of BBC Africa and US-funded VOA in April 2024, citing “biased” coverage of a Human Rights Watch report that accused the national army of mass executions. The websites of Le Monde, Ouest-France, The Guardian, and Deutsche Welle (DW) were also blocked “until further notice.”