Burkina Faso Bans French Newspaper Le Monde

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Military-ruled Burkina Faso on Saturday, December 2, suspended “all distribution methods” of Le Monde daily after an article on a deadly jihadist attack in the north, in the latest measure against a French media organization.

“The government has decided to suspend all distribution methods of the newspaper Le Monde in Burkina Faso starting from Saturday, December 2, 2023,” Communication Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo said in a statement.

He criticized a “biased article,” referring to a story published on Le Monde’s website on Friday about a bloody jihadist attack on a military base in Djibo on November 26.

The United Nations says at least 40 civilians were killed in the attack claimed by The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, while Burkinabe security sources spoke of a “few” military deaths.

“Contrary to what the newspaper Le Monde peremptorily claims, the Burkinabe government has never trapped itself in a propaganda mindset in the war we are waging against terrorism,” Ouedraogo said. Le Monde “has chosen its side,” he added.