Mounting pressure on the media in Mali has sparked growing concern over the state of press freedom in the country. Over the past three years, authorities have taken a series of steps against both local and international outlets, tightening control over public narratives.
The clampdown began in March 2022, when Mali’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization moved to suspend the broadcasts of France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI). A copy of the suspension directive was posted on the ministry’s Facebook page and later confirmed by reports from both outlets.
France Médias Monde, the French state media group that owns RFI and France 24, issued a strong response, saying it “deplored the decision.”
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According to the Malian government, the action stemmed from what it described as “false allegations” made against the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). These allegations, reported by RFI, Human Rights Watch, and then-UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, accused FAMa of committing abuses. While the ministry said the suspension was justified under Mali’s “laws and regulations,” it failed to cite any specific statute or legal provision. The order also prohibited local stations from rebroadcasting any material originating from the two French outlets.
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State pressure hasn’t been limited to foreign media. Last December, private station Djoliba TV News had its signal pulled for six months after airing a debate that challenged the government’s version of a failed coup in neighboring Burkina Faso.
Most recently, another French network, TV5 Monde, was targeted by Mali’s High Authority for Communication. The media regulator claimed the network broadcast “defamatory remarks” during coverage of a May 3 pro-democracy protest in Bamako.
In a letter dated Tuesday, the authority announced it was suspending TV5 Monde’s signal, criticizing a news anchor’s statement that “hundreds of security forces were mobilized to prevent demonstrators from accessing” the Palais de la Culture.
The agency contested that narrative, stating: “The forces of law and order were present at the Palais de la Culture to secure the demonstrators.”
TV5 Monde has not yet publicly responded to the suspension.
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Mali, now under military rule since Assimi Goita’s 2021 takeover, has increasingly cracked down on dissent. Alongside Burkina Faso and Niger, the country has joined the Alliance of Sahel States—a bloc of junta-led governments that have curtailed civil liberties, suppressed media, and arrested political opponents.
Freedom of expression continues to erode in Mali, with several journalists facing threats and others forced into exile. The targeting of international outlets further underscores a shrinking space for independent reporting.
Mali currently ranks 119th in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, according to a check Face2FaceAfrica.com made—a figure many observers fear could drop further if these trends persist.
