The military government in Guinea has banned four major private radio stations and one private television channel, the Information Ministry said on Wednesday.
The operating licences of radio stations FIM FM, Radio Espace FM, Sweet FM and Djoma FM, as well as Djoma TV, were withdrawn over what the government said was a “failure to comply with the content specifications,” without giving further detail.
The ban follows a string of restrictions imposed on the media by the junta, which seized power in the West African nation in 2021.
Media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders disclosed that four private radio stations have been constantly jammed since November, three private television channels are virtually inaccessible, and at least three news sites were blocked for several weeks in 2023. “The repression of the media must stop,” it said.
Earlier this year, the authorities restricted internet access for several weeks and detained a press union leader for over a month, prompting a general strike.
Demonstrations were banned in the country in 2022 while several opposition leaders, civil society members and journalists have been detained.
Amnesty International said in a report this month that almost 50 people have been killed in the government crackdown on opposition and dissent since 2021.
The military which had reluctantly agreed under pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS to arrange elections by the end of this year, appears to be singing a different tune after the junta-appointed Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said recently that the military will be unable to proceed with the polls and will most likely remain in power till next year.
The FNDC, a civil society collective which has spearheaded protests in recent years, on Tuesday threatened to resume demonstrations if the junta did not commit to handing back power by the end of the year.