While politically independent from France, are not the commercial ties still making Niger dependent on French interests??
The announcements come as the three West African allies face persistent jihadist attacks and any opposition to the military-led governments is repressed. Wassim Nasr is based in France and specialises in jihadist movements and security issues. The public prosecutors’ offices of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger accused Nasr of making “comments that are tantamount to acts of publicity and blatant support for terrorists”, in statements aired on their respective state television channels late Wednesday. The statements refer to analysis provided by Nasr following rare attacks claimed by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists in the Malian capital Bamako last week which killed dozens of members of the security forces.
They accuse him of having been in contact with the jihadists who they say inform him of their objectives, positions and the toll from their operations. The charges in the investigation are criminal conspiracy, complicity in a terrorist act and defending terrorism.
“France 24 denounces these serious and unfounded accusations and expresses its full support for Wassim Nasr,” the broadcaster said in a statement. It added that Nasr was “renowned for his objective, factual and accurate coverage” of the region and that he cross-checked his information with all sources “including within the regimes concerned”.
“These legal proceedings mark a further stage in the restrictions on press freedom suffered by local colleagues and the international media in this area”, the statement said. “A thought for colleagues in the Sahel and to those who suffer the arbitrariness of these regimes in the flesh,” Nasr posted on X late Wednesday.
Following a string of coups since 2020, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have broken alliances with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to new partners including Russia. The military-led governments have suspended a number of French media outlets including France 24 and Radio France Internationale. Correspondents from several foreign media have been forced to leave, go into exile or cease work.
https://www.barrons.com/news/sahel-juntas-open-investigation-against-france-24-journalist-09525585
Wassim is a reliable journalist who does his job well, too well in the opinion of the Russian-inspired costume goblins in the area.