Joliba TV News, a private television station in Mali, has been handed a six-month suspension following negotiations with the country’s military-led authorities, the channel’s management revealed.
The suspension follows the revocation of Joliba TV’s licence by Mali’s High Communication Authority in late November. This action was taken after Burkina Faso’s media regulator filed a complaint regarding comments made during a programme on Joliba TV.
The programme featured remarks by Malian political figure Issa Kaou N’Djim, who criticised Burkina Faso’s junta, prompting the neighbouring country to request disciplinary measures against the channel.
Joliba TV halted broadcasting immediately, and negotiations have been ongoing to address the issue. Meanwhile, a Malian media organisation issued an apology to Burkina Faso for the comments aired.
The suspension of Joliba TV is part of a growing crackdown on media under Mali’s ruling junta, which came to power in coups in 2020 and 2021. Media freedom in the region has been under pressure, with similar restrictions reported in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Issa Kaou N’Djim, a former ally of Mali’s coup leader General Assimi Goita, was arrested in Bamako on 13 November. He faces trial on 23 December for “publicly offending a foreign head of state.”
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all led by military governments, are facing ongoing political and security challenges. The three countries have joined forces under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a confederation formed to strengthen their strategic cooperation.
