Mali’s ruling junta has suspended the broadcast signal of the popular news outlet, Joliba TV News, following a televised debate in which a prominent politician criticized the military rulers of neighboring Burkina Faso, a Joliba journalist revealed on Tuesday.
“Our channel’s signal was cut this morning, but we remain hopeful that it will be restored soon,” said Attaher Halidou, the journalist who moderated the debate, in an interview with The Associated Press.
The controversy stems from comments made by politician Issa Kaou N’Djim during the debate. He alleged that Burkina Faso’s military leaders had fabricated claims of a foiled coup in September. Shortly afterward, Malian authorities arrested and detained N’Djim, as well as summoned Joliba TV’s director for questioning.
This action marks yet another move by Mali’s junta to suppress press freedom and dissent since taking power in a 2020 coup. In June, the military regime arrested 11 opposition figures and activists while banning media outlets from reporting on political parties and their activities.
The Press House of Mali, an organization representing journalists, has threatened to rebroadcast the controversial debate if Joliba TV’s license is revoked.
“We are engaging with authorities to address broader issues, including the restoration of Joliba’s signal, the potential withdrawal of its license, and the general state of press freedom in Mali,” said Bandiougou Danté, the organization’s president.
N’Djim, once a vice president of Mali’s National Transitional Council, has become an outspoken critic of the junta, advocating for a return to electoral democracy. In 2021, he served a six-month prison sentence after publicly criticizing the regime.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have been under military rule following successive coups driven by dissatisfaction with previous civilian governments.
The three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in 2023, a mutual defense pact aimed at addressing regional security challenges.
Despite this alliance, the security situation in the Sahel has worsened, with record attacks by extremist groups and accusations against government forces of targeting civilians suspected of aiding militants.
