Authorities in Gabon suspended, on Saturday, French media outlets Radio France Internationale (RFI) and France 24, during the general elections in the central African country.
The High Authority for Communication announced via public television the ban of the French media outlets, citing a “lack of objectivity and balance” in their coverage of information relating to the general elections that were held on Saturday.
On the same day, the authorities turned off the Internet and enforced a curfew in Gabon, claiming the possibility of unrest, only hours after the presidential election had begun between incumbent Ali Bongo Ondimba and his primary opponent, Albert Ondo Ossa.
France Médias Monde, the parent company of RFI and France 24, announced in a release published on Sunday its dismay and surprise at this temporary suspension.
The France Médias Monde company said that it conforms “in all respects with the provisions of the agreement signed on March 15, 2021, with the Gabonese media regulatory authority.” They added that this decision “deprives the Gabonese of two of their main sources of reliable and independent information”.
Earlier this month, Niger’s leadership also banned France 24 and RFI from broadcasting in the country, one week after their coup d’etat.
The Malian and Burkinabese authorities also censored the networks in 2022.
The banning and suspension of these outlets reflects a growing anti-French sentiment in the region, especially in the Sahel as well as other former French colonies, as a reaction to perceived increased French interference in domestic affairs.