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Bamako, March 17 (EFE).- The transitional military government of Mali has opened a procedure to suspend, until further notice, the broadcasting of French public radio and television Radio France Internationale (RFI) and France24 following these media have made what he describes as “false allegations without any foundation” once morest the Malian Army.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Colonel Abdulaye Maiga, the Malian government, in power following two coups in the African country, claims to have learned “with deep dismay of false abuses committed by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) once morest civilians , as well as violations of human rights and international humanitarian law”.
And he attributes these allegations to three sources: a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, on March 8; a Human Rights Watch report from March 15 and an RFI report from March 14 and 15.
“Given the timing of this media hype, the government deduces from it a premeditated strategy to destabilize the transition, demoralize the Malian people and discredit the brave FAMA,” says the government, sanctioned by the Economic Community of West African States. (ECOWAS) following failing to fulfill its promise to call elections last February and asking for a five-year transition period to do so.
According to the statement, certain statements made by RFI “have no other objectives than to sow hatred by “ethnicizing” insecurity in Mali and reveal the criminal intent of journalists”, whose broadcasts it compares to those of Mille Collines radio, which encouraged genocide. in Rwanda in 1994.
The government “categorically rejects these false allegations” and announces that it has opened “a procedure to, in accordance with the laws and regulations in force in Mali, suspend, until further notice, the broadcasting of shortwave and FM RFI and television France24, as well as all its digital platforms throughout the national territory.
In addition, it prohibits all national radio and television stations, as well as digital media and newspapers, “from rebroadcasting and/or publishing the broadcasts and press articles of RFI and France24 from the entry into force of the suspension measure” .
(c) EFE Agency
