Authorities in Burkina Faso have suspended the broadcasting licence of Radio Omega for three months, accusing the station of disrespecting the military-led government by describing it as a "junta" in a Facebook post.
Since Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a September 2022 coup, the country has cracked down on several media outlets. French broadcasters LCI, RFI, and France 24 have been barred, and some local journalists have fled the country amid increasing pressure.
The suspension of Radio Omega was announced in a decision issued Saturday by the Higher Council for Communication (CSC), the country’s media regulatory body. The order bars the station from broadcasting or posting content on its website and social media platforms during the three-month period.
According to the CSC, the move was prompted by a July 30 post on Radio Omega's Facebook page, which the council said included "malicious and disrespectful language toward Burkinabe authorities."
The post reported on a demonstration in the capital, Ouagadougou, in honour of a Burkinabe influencer who died while in custody in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. It stated: “Ivory Coast is regularly accused by the Burkinabe junta of harbouring opponents and fomenting plots.”
The CSC criticized the use of the term “Burkinabe junta,” calling it “inappropriate,” “insulting,” and “contemptuous,” adding that such phrasing amounted to a serious affront to the country’s authorities.
“Such language from the media suggests a malicious insinuation,” the council said.
In a statement released Thursday, Radio Omega claimed the post was published by an external service provider and had not been approved by its editorial team. The station subsequently issued a correction on Wednesday, removing the contested language.
Despite the correction, the CSC faulted the station for what it described as a “continued lack of editorial rigour,” noting that Radio Omega had previously received a formal warning.
The council has now ordered the station to issue a public apology to the Burkinabe authorities, as well as to its audience.
This isn’t the first time Radio Omega has faced sanctions. In August 2023, the station was suspended for a month after airing an interview with a spokesperson for a group advocating for the reinstatement of Niger’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum. That interview was also deemed offensive to Niger’s new leadership.
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