Niger rulers suspend BBC for three months

Niger’s military authorities suspended British broadcaster the BBC for three months accusing it of spreading false news and undermining troops’ morale.

The decision came after the BBC broadcasted in local Hausa language that an attack killed more than 90 Nigerien soldiers and 40 civilians in two Niger villages near the border with Burkina Faso.

Niamey authorities said “BBC broadcasts false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops’ morale.”

Popular BBC programs, including those in Hausa — the most-spoken language in Niger — are broadcast in the Central African country through local radio partners to reach a large audience across the region.

Similar bans hit other international news outlets, such as French broadcasters France 24 and Radio France International (RFI), after the coup in Niger.