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Minister of Communications quote, added background
Nairobi, March 27 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso’s military junta on Monday halted French 24 broadcasts in the country after the station aired an interview with the head of Al Qaeda’s North African arm, AQIM.
Relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have deteriorated sharply since the Burkina Faso army seized power in a coup last October.
In January, Burkina Faso gave France a month to withdraw its troops as it ended a military agreement that allowed French forces to fight rebels, including on its territory.
Earlier this month, France 24 aired an interview with Yazid Mebarek, also known as Abu Ubaida Yusuf al-Anabi. He claimed the title of “Islamic his Maghreb al-Qaeda chief” in 2020 after his predecessor was killed in a French raid.
Interviewing the head of AQIM revealed that “France 24 not only acts as an advocate for these terrorists, but worse, provides a space to justify terrorist actions and hate speech.” We are,” said Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, Minister of Communications of Burkina Faso. , said in a statement.
France Medias Monde, which runs France 24, was not immediately reached for comment on the move in Burkina Faso.
(Reporting by Herward Holland, Editing by Gareth Jones)
((hereward.holland@thomsonreuters.com; +254 20 499 1232; Reuters message: hereward.holland.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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