Press freedom across the Sahel is entering a terminal phase as military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger intensify a systematic crackdown on journalists and the flow of information, a new report by the International Press Institute (IPI) reveals.
What began as a series of coups has now evolved into a broader pattern of authoritarian consolidation, where control over information has become central to maintaining power amid deepening insecurity. While these nations once moved toward democratic transparency, the current trajectory points to a total information blackout that isolates millions of civilians and enables unchecked state repression.
The report identifies state actors as the primary aggressors in this war on the press, frequently weaponising legal frameworks to silence dissent. Niger Republic currently leads the region in the incarceration of media practitioners, having scrapped previous legal protections, such as the removal of prison sentences for certain press-related offences like criminal defamation, to introduce harsher penalties for reporting on security matters. Authorities in Niamey, the country’s state capital, consistently invoke cybersecurity laws to jail journalists like Gazali Abdou and Ibro Chaibou on vague charges of disturbing public order. This judicial hostility creates a climate of fear that compels many local reporters to adopt self-censorship as a survival strategy, effectively turning once-vibrant media landscapes into platforms for state propaganda.
In Mali, the junta employs financial and legal coercion to stifle independent voices. For instance, the government recently hiked media licence fees by a staggering 900 percent, a move widely viewed as an attempt to bankrupt outlets that refuse to align with official narratives. Malian enforcement units also aggressively target journalists over social media posts, issuing suspended prison sentences and heavy fines to those who question the integrity of the judicial system or government officials. Such actions have transformed the country into what local reporters describe as a “police state,” where the simple act of expressing an opinion invites state retaliation.
According to the report, the repression extends beyond the courtroom to the battlefield, particularly in Burkina Faso. Under the guise of national sovereignty, the military regime has pioneered the use of forced military conscription to punish critics. At least seven journalists have been forcibly sent to the front lines to fight terrorist groups after publishing reports critical of the government’s security failures. Experts say this practice of “punitive mobilisation” serves to remove dissenting voices from the public sphere and send a message to any remaining independent reporters.
Glorification of Terrorism
Foreign media outlets face an equally hostile environment as the three nations pivot away from Western partnerships in favour of ties with Russia and China. Regulatory bodies in all three countries have imposed suspensions and restrictions on major international broadcasters, including Radio France Internationale (RFI), France 24, and the BBC. These suspensions typically follow reports on civilian casualties or military abuses, which the juntas label as “glorification of terrorism” or “false accusations.” The expulsion of individual foreign correspondents further ensures that the international community remains blind to the deteriorating human rights situation on the ground.
According to IPI, the vacuum left by the disappearance of independent media is rapidly being filled by disinformation and distorted narratives from foreign powers. The lack of local watchdog journalism allows foreign actors to manipulate public opinion without challenge. This information gap has dire consequences for regional stability, as it blurs the true scale of the humanitarian crisis and prevents any form of accountability for both state forces and jihadist groups.
Civil society organisations that traditionally protect journalists are also under siege. For instance, authorities in Niger have suspended the Maison de la Presse, the central body of journalists and media houses in the country, while Burkina Faso dissolved its national journalists’ association entirely in early 2025. By dismantling these support structures, the regimes ensure that individual reporters have no institutional protection against arbitrary arrest or kidnapping by non-state actors.
“Amid this deteriorating situation for journalism in the Sahel countries, international pressure is urgently needed to ensure that the authorities in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso take steps to respect media freedom and uphold their obligations to protect journalist safety,” IPI said.
The steps, according to the organisation, include ending all harassment of journalists in response to their reporting, reforming existing legislation, rescinding bans on local, foreign media outlets and journalists; and investigating all forms of attacks on journalists to hold those responsible to account.
