Burkina Faso suspends France 24 broadcasts

Following an interview with the leader of the al-Qaeda militant group's North Africa branch, Aqim, Burkina Faso officials have ordered France 24 broadcasts to be taken off the air.

The minister of communication for Burkina Faso, Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, made the following statement: "France 24 is not only acting as a mouthpiece for these terrorists, but worse, it is providing a space for the legitimization of terrorist actions and hate speech."

According to him, the government had therefore decided to "suspend indefinitely the transmission of France 24 programs on national territory in all responsibility and in the name of the greater interest of the nation."

After France killed his predecessor in an air strike, Yezid Mebarek, the leader of Aqim, was interviewed by France 24 earlier this month.

Since the coup in October of last year, ties between Burkina Faso and France have deteriorated.

French troops battling the Islamists in Burkina Faso were expelled, and their place was filled by Russian mercenaries.