Niger Govt To File Complaint Against RFI For Inciting Genocide, Intercommunity Massacre Via Disinformation

The Niger government has announced plans to file a legal complaint against Radio France Internationale (RFI), accusing the media organisation of “inciting genocide and intercommunity massacre.”

The decision was disclosed on Thursday, December 12, following a Council of Ministers meeting by General Abdourahamane Tchiani.

The government, in a statement issued after the meeting, stated that RFI is conducting a “vast disinformation campaign” and broadcasting content with “genocidal overtones.” According to the authorities, the material disseminated by RFI aims to “set populations against each other” and foster “feelings of rejection between communities.”

The government’s statement described RFI as “propaganda for France’s foreign policy”. It also accused the media outlet of using “stateless people” to relay biased information. Officials also pointed to social media publications, including images of burned villages, which they said evoke the “atrocities of colonial missions.”

This media outlet has become an instrument of incitement to massacre and genocide, as was the case in some countries that still suffer the scars of these atrocities, the statement read, adding that these actions could lead to criminal prosecution.

The move to file a complaint follows recent reports by RFI and other international outlets regarding attacks in the localities of Chatoumane and Libiri in the Tillabéri region on December 10 and 11, 2024.

The Nigerien army has vehemently denied these reports, referring to its security bulletin covering December 8 to 11, which stated no such incidents occurred.

RFI has been suspended in Niger since August 3, 2023, shortly after the military coup that ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.

This move to file a complaint against RFI comes as the government suspended BBC from broadcasting within the country for three months, accusing the UK-based broadcasting company of disseminating false information and undermining national stability.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, has announced plans to launch a joint TV channel which, according to Malian President Assimi Goita, would ensure fair and equal access to information for citizens across the member states.

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