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World
Niger's military junta suspended around ten French media outlets, accusing them of endangering public order, in a new escalation of tensions with France.
Around ten French media outlets have been suspended in Niger, with the military junta accusing them of posing a "serious risk to public order." The decision, announced on Friday, marks the latest chapter in the fraying relationship between the Sahel nation and its former colonial power, and continues a pattern of restrictions on Western media that began after the junta seized power in July 2023.
The ban, confirmed by a statement from Niger's National Observatory for Communication, targets outlets that "repeatedly broadcast content likely to seriously threaten public order, national unity, social cohesion, and the stability of state institutions." The list includes major French news organizations such as France 2, Radio France Internationale, Agence France-Presse, TV5 Monde, TV1 Info, the magazine *Jeune Afrique*, and Mediapart, as well as France Afrique Media and LSI Africa. The suspension applies across the entire national territory.
Experts consulted by *Al Ain Al-Akhbariya* view the move as carrying deep political and strategic dimensions tied to a reshaping of power dynamics in the Sahel. They argue the decision reflects a new escalation in Niger-France relations, part of a broader trend of diminishing French influence, a rise in sovereignist rhetoric among military-led governments, and a pivot toward alternative international partners.
Mahi Amane, a professor of political science and international relations at Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey and a specialist in Sahel affairs, told *Al Ain Al-Akhbariya* that the junta's ban aims to "readjust the relationship with foreign media after years of unbalanced influence." He stated that Niger is in a phase of political and institutional rebuilding, a situation he described as "natural in its quest to protect its media space from external influences that could affect internal stability or steer public opinion in an unobjective manner." Amane added that foreign media, particularly French outlets, have played a role in recent years that "goes beyond news coverage to indirect political influence," prompting the current authorities to adopt stricter regulatory measures.
French researcher Antoine Glaser, a specialist in African political transformations at the Institute of International Studies in Paris, said the Nigerien decision should be understood as part of a process of "redefining the state's relationship with former colonial powers," led by France. Glaser told *Al Ain Al-Akhbariya* that this trend is not so much a media rupture as an "attempt to rebalance the internal media landscape." He noted that many Sahel states are beginning to embrace the concept of "media sovereignty" as part of their political sovereignty. The authorities in Niger, he added, believe that some foreign media coverage "does not always reflect the complexities of local reality, and may instead present an image that affects political stability, making control of this field a choice the state sees as necessary in this transitional phase." Glaser also said the decision fits within a broader effort to reshape the state's relationship with external media, even if the measures are "controversial on the international stage."
The move against French media comes amid visible diplomatic realignments. Nigerien Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangari participated in a press conference in Moscow on April 3, 2025, signaling the country's openness to new partners.
