Mali to suspend French radio, television

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Mali’s ruling military junta said Thursday it has launched a procedure to suspend broadcasts by French media outlets international RFI radio and France 24 television, accusing them of reporting “false allegations” of abuse by the Malian army.

In a statement, the junta said the allegations were made by the UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet and Human Rights Watch, and reported by the news outlets this week.

The Malian government “categorically rejects these false allegations against the valiant FAMA (Malian forces)” and “initiates a procedure to suspend until further notice the broadcasting of RFI and France 24,” said the statement signed by Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, the junta’s spokesman.

According to the junta, the news reports were “a premeditated strategy aimed at destabilizing the political transition, demoralize the Malian people and discredit the Malian army.”

But the statement did not indicate when broadcasts would be suspended.

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said that Malian soldiers were responsible for killing at least 71 civilians since last December.

France Medias Monde, the state-owned holding company, runs France 24 and RFI among its subsidiaries.