Guinea has banned French international news channel France 24 nationwide, accusing the broadcaster of defying regulatory orders and using language it deemed offensive to President Mamadi Doumbouya.
The High Authority of Communication (HAC) announced the measure on Thursday, revoking France 24’s broadcasting authorisation as well as the accreditations of its correspondents, special envoys and other staff in Guinea. The ban applies to satellite and cable television, websites, mobile applications and social media. Canal+ Guinea was instructed to remove France 24 from its packages.
“The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT) is hereby requisitioned to proceed without delay with the technical blocking of all France 24 digital access points,” the HAC said in a statement.
The dispute began after a France 24 presenter referred to Doumbouya as a “coup leader” during a news bulletin on Tuesday. The following day, the HAC ordered the broadcaster to stop using the term and issue corrections, saying it undermined the dignity of the president.
The regulator said France 24’s failure to comply constituted an “open challenge” to its authority, a continuing insult to the head of state and a “flagrant violation of the legal sovereignty” of Guinea. It said the ban was necessary to protect public order, institutional stability and the country’s image.
France 24 subsequently corrected the description and apologized. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the channel had added an online correction describing the reference to Doumbouya as a mistake.
Doumbouya seized power in a 2021 military coup that ousted President Alpha Conde. He was elected president in December 2025 with 86.72% of the vote, with the Supreme Court later confirming the result.
The France 24 ban came one day after the HAC revoked the accreditation of Mamadou Diawo Barry, a Guinean correspondent for Jeune Afrique. The regulator cited what it described as serious breaches of professional ethics and failures to observe standards of objectivity and balance.
Guinean authorities have previously taken action against domestic media outlets. In May 2024, they revoked the licenses of six private outlets, including Djoma TV, Espace TV and the FIM, Espace and Djoma radio stations. The government accused the outlets of failing to comply with broadcasting requirements following months of signal disruptions.
France 24 has faced similar restrictions elsewhere in West Africa. Mali permanently suspended France 24 and Radio France Internationale in 2022, accusing the broadcasters of disseminating false reports about alleged abuses by the Malian Army. Their signals remain blocked in Mali.
By Tamilla Hasanova
