OUAGADOUGOU, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso's government on Monday ordered the suspension of broadcasts of France 24 on its territory, following an interview by the French television channels with a leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Government spokesman Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo said that the decision was made in the interest of the nation and that the broadcasting of France 24 programs will be suspended indefinitely throughout Burkina Faso.
In a statement, the spokesman said that by giving a voice to the chief of the AQIM, "France 24 does not only act as a communication agency for these terrorists... it offers a space for legitimizing terrorist actions and speeches of hatred conveyed to satisfy the evil aims of this organization on Burkina Faso."
Last December, Burkina Faso suspended the programs of Radio France Internationale (RFI), accusing it of breaching the rules regarding the processing of information. ■