Niger junta suspends BBC accusing it of ‘spreading false news’ in coverage of attack

Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Niger’s ruling junta suspended the BBC for three months over its coverage of an extremist attack that allegedly killed dozens of Nigerien soldiers and civilians. Niger’s ruling junta suspended the BBC for three months over its coverage of an extremist attack that allegedly killed dozens of Nigerien soldiers and civilians, the authorities said Thursday. Niger along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following coups in the three countries, the ruling juntas have cracked down on political dissent and journalists.