Niger’s government did not cite a specific broadcast for the suspension, but it follows BBC reports of jihadist attacks in the Tillaberi region on Tuesday, which are said to have killed 91 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians.
The junta called the reports “baseless allegations” and “an intoxication campaign organized by the enemies of the Nigerian people, aimed at undermining the morale of our troops and sowing division.”
The attacks were reported by multiple sources, including security blogs, which said gunmen believed to be linked to the Islamic State group carried out two simultaneous attacks in the village of Shatuman.
In one of the attacks, attackers reportedly disguised themselves as civilians and opened fire on soldiers patrolling the weekly market. Soldiers could not return fire due to the risk of collateral damage.
A BBC spokesman said: “We stand by our journalism and will continue to report on the region without fear or favour.”
French channels France24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI) were also suspended in Niger after the military seized power in a July 2023 coup.
The junta is under pressure for failing to stop militant attacks, which is one of the justifications for ousting democratically elected President Mohamed Bazum in July 2023.
Niger’s government also announced plans to “file a complaint” against RFI for “incitement to genocide.”
It claimed that RFI was a propaganda mouthpiece for the former colonial power of France.
RFI described the complaint as “extravagant and defamatory” and said it was not based on any evidence.
Niger did not say where it plans to file a complaint about the RFI.
West African neighbors Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have experienced coups in recent years. All of these military-run governments have suspended foreign media at some point after coming to power.
The BBC was also suspended by Burkina Faso because of her coverage of a report accusing his army of mass murder.
They faced an insurgency made up of various jihadist groups operating throughout the Sahel region of West Africa. Tillaberi is a particularly volatile area, close to the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
The Sahel region is believed to be the new global epicenter of the Islamic State group, while al-Qaeda-linked groups are also active in the region.
Three countries formed an alliance to fight jihadists and expelled French troops, turning instead to Russia and Turkey for their security needs.
But the violence continued.
