Niger has suspended some 10 media organisations from former colonial ruler France, saying they threatened public order.

A statement read on state television on Friday said the suspended bodies had repeatedly broadcast "content likely to gravely endanger public order, national unity, social cohesion and the stability of the institutions" of Niger.

They include France 24, Radio France Internationale, France Afrique Media, LSI Africa, Agence France-Presse, TV5 Monde, TF1 Info, Jeune Afrique and Mediapart.

It said the suspension was with "immediate" effect and covered "satellite packages, cable networks, digital platforms, websites, and mobile applications".

Growing anti-colonial sentiment

RFI and France 24 had been suspended a few days after a July 2023 military takeover that brought General Abdourahmane Tiani to power.

In December 2024, Britain's BBC was suspended.

On Tuesday, Burkina Faso, an ally of neighbouring Niger and Mali within Alliance of Sahel States (AES), banned the broadcasting of the TV5 Monde channel.

Niger's decision comes a few days before a major summit between France and African countries in Kenya.

Anti‑French sentiment runs high in some former African colonies as the continent becomes a renewed diplomatic battleground.