Mali - September 2024
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger launch joint media platform
On 16 September, the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced the launch of a joint indigenous media platform following the suspension of French news outlets in the region. This initiative, a web-based television channel, is intended to provide state-controlled information and counter what the governments describe as biased foreign reporting. The media launch comes amid growing restrictions on press freedom in these countries, where military-led governments have expelled several international media organizations. The creation of this platform reflects a broader trend in the Sahel of increasing government control over information and an erosion of media independence.
Sources: France24, Anadolu Agency, International IDEA
Capital hit by rare deadly terrorist attack
On 17 September, the Al Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) launched a coordinated terrorist assault in Bamako, the capital of Mali, killing at least 50 people and wounding over 200. JNIM targeted two critical sites: the national gendarmerie academy in Faladié and Modibo Keïta International Airport. This marked the first major attack on the city since the military coup in 2020.
Sources: The Africa Report, International Crisis Group, BBC, Le Monde, The Guardian
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