Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Open Investigation Against FRANCE24 Journalist for Terror Links in the Sahel

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have ordered an investigation into the “biased comments” made by Wassim Nasr, a journalist with the French channel, France24, for each series of terror attacks perpetrated against the Confederation of Sahel States.

This was disclosed on Wednesday, September 25, by the CNSP-NIGER (Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie) through the Public Prosecutor of the Specialised Judicial Unit for the Fight against Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime and as announced by Deputy Attorney of the Republic, Hadiza Malam Manzo.

As read by Deputy Attorney Manzo, the recent statement made by Nasr was on September 17, 2024, following the terror attack in Mali’s capital, Bamako.

Nasr is a supposed journalist and analyst specialising in covering the Ismalist insurgency. However, his recent coverage of the infamous September 17 terror attack in Mali’s Bamako has led to several indications of making comments that “amount to blatant acts of publicity and support” for jihadist activity.

On Thursday, September 26, France24 issued a press release denouncing the allegations laid against its employee by the AES, which consists of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This is despite the fact that France24 had been accused of hosting an alleged terrorist, Attaye Ag Mohamed, known as the vice president for external relations of CSP-DPA.

France24

Notwithstanding, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso had opened an investigation on the basis that Nasr said he was in contact with terrorists who communicated with him in real time the objectives of their attack, position, targets, and the human and material toll and the result.

The combined analysis of the various interventions of Wassim Nasser on the multiple media where he intervenes reveals the taking of positions and comments that are similar to acts of publicity and blatant support for terrorists and the actions of armed terrorist groups operating in the Sahel,” the statement reads.

These acts are criminally analysed as being able to constitute offences under criminal law, in particular that of association of criminals with links to a terrorist enterprise, apology for terrorism and complicity in terrorist acts, it added.

With this, Nasr and his accomplices are facing allegations bordering on the charges of associating with criminals with links to terrorism, being an apologist to terrorism, and conspiracy.

While the AES assured the public of a “diligent” investigation, Nasr had put on X, stating, “A thought to the Sahelian colleagues & to those who suffer the arbitrariness of these regimes in their flesh, as far as I am concerned.”

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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