Monday, 21 September 2026 | Author: Andrew Michael Angelo | Dakar |
Guinea has banned France 24 from broadcasting in the country and revoked the accreditation of a Jeune Afrique correspondent, in the latest crackdown on independent media.
The High Authority of Communication (HAC) announced the measures after a France 24 presenter described President Mamadi Doumbouya as a “putschist” during coverage of his visit to Ivory Coast.
The regulator said France 24 had failed to comply with an order to stop using what it called “derogatory” language about the president.
France 24 later apologised and corrected the report, saying Doumbouya had been “mistakenly labeled a coup leader”.
Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 military coup that ousted President Alpha Condé. He was elected president in December 2025.
The HAC also revoked the accreditation of Diawo Barry, Jeune Afrique’s correspondent in Guinea, accusing him of failing to meet requirements for objective and balanced reporting.
Jeune Afrique rejected the decision, saying it was issued without prior consultation and was not supported by any specific allegation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Guinea to reverse both decisions.
“By prohibiting France 24 from broadcasting and Jeune Afrique’s Diawo Barry from working, Guinean authorities have shown their ruthless determination to silence independent voices,” said CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative, Moussa Ngom.
The CPJ says Guinea has imposed long-term or indefinite bans on several critical media outlets and journalists since Doumbouya seized power.
The whereabouts of journalist Habib Marouane Camara, who was taken by uniformed men in 2024, remain unknown, according to the organisation.
The HAC has not responded to CPJ requests for comment.
