Government Cites Unverified Reports Amid Security Concerns
Malian media authorities, specifically the country’s High Authority for Communication (HAC), have suspended two major French broadcasters, LCI and TF1, until further notice. This unprecedented move came on November 13, 2025, amid accusations from the Malian junta that the broadcasters disseminated “unverified claims and falsehoods” in a report broadcast on November 9th. The contested report contained allegations about a fuel blockade imposed by the al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Musilimin (JNIM) militant group in Mali, which the Malian government claims were inaccurate and misleading.
The suspension letter communicated to cable and satellite distributors in Mali effectively removed the two services from broadcast packages across the country. The HAC specifically contested three passages from the broadcast: first, the claim that the junta had banned the sale of fuel; second, that the Kayes and Nioro regions were completely under blockade; and third, the assertion that JNIM militants were close to capturing the capital, Bamako. Mali’s ruling military junta, which has governed since 2020 after taking power in a coup, perceives these claims as damaging not only to the country’s image but also to national security, amid an increasingly volatile situation in the Sahel region.
The backdrop to the suspension involves a complicated and deteriorating security landscape in Mali. Since September 2025, the JNIM group has effectively blocked fuel deliveries into key areas of Mali, creating severe shortages that have triggered long queues at gas stations and exacerbated tensions across society. The government maintains that while JNIM controls parts of northern and central Mali with this blockade, the state remains functional and in control elsewhere, contradicting the French broadcasters’ portrayal.
This media suspension is part of a broader pattern in Mali and its neighboring Sahel countries Niger and Burkina Faso, where military juntas have consolidated power and increasingly restricted foreign media and civil society. Analysts observe that since these military governments seized control, security in the region has sharply declined, with record levels of militant attacks and civilian casualties. The curbs on foreign media outlets are seen as efforts to control narratives and present a preferred image of governance and security efforts to the international community.
Several western embassies, including those of the United States and France, have in recent weeks urged their citizens to leave Mali amidst escalating violence and political instability. The suspension of LCI and TF1 comes amid strained Mali-France relations following France’s reduction of its military presence in the country in 2024 and subsequent diplomatic tensions. Mali’s junta accuses French media of biased reporting and interference, contributing to the decision to restrict French broadcasters.
The reaction to the suspension has been mixed. Media freedom advocates criticize the move as a suppression of press freedom and an attempt to limit independent reporting about the crisis in Mali. Conversely, the Malian government defends the decision as a necessary step to curb misinformation and protect national security, urging international actors to respect the country’s sovereignty and the context of ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
The suspension of French broadcasters LCI and TF1 by Mali’s media regulator highlights the tense interplay between media freedom, national security, and information control in conflict-affected regions like the Sahel. With the situation on the ground remaining volatile due to militant blockades and worsening security, controlling the narrative is a powerful tool for the ruling junta, while raising serious questions about transparency and press freedoms in Mali and the wider subregion.
