Niger Junta Suspends 10 French Media Outlets Over ‘Public Order’ Concerns

The military junta in Niger has suspended about 10 French media organisations, accusing them of threatening public order amid worsening tensions between the West African nation and its former colonial ruler, France.

The announcement was made on Friday in a statement broadcast on state television, marking another escalation in the junta’s crackdown on foreign influence and international media operations in the country.

Among the affected organisations are France 24, Radio France Internationale (RFI), Agence France-Presse (AFP), TV5Monde, TF1 Info, Jeune Afrique and Mediapart.

The junta also listed France Afrique Media and LSI Africa among the suspended entities.

Authorities in Niger said the media organisations were sanctioned for allegedly undermining public order, although no detailed evidence was publicly provided in the televised announcement.

The latest move comes amid growing anti-French sentiment across several former French colonies in West Africa, where military-led governments have increasingly distanced themselves from Paris while strengthening ties with Russia and China.

France, which once controlled vast territories across northern, western and central Africa, has maintained deep political, military and economic influence in many of its former colonies since independence in the 1960s.

However, relations between Paris and several Sahel nations have deteriorated sharply following a series of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

French troops previously deployed in the three countries as part of counterterrorism operations were withdrawn after the juntas demanded their exit and accused France of interference in domestic affairs.

The governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have since forged closer diplomatic and security relations with Russia, signalling a major geopolitical shift in the Sahel region.