Togo's High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC) announced in a statement that France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI) would be suspended for three months. The two media outlets were accused of broadcasting "inaccurate and biased reports" following protests that rocked the country earlier this month.
"Several recent broadcasts have relayed inaccurate, biased, and even factually incorrect statements, undermining the stability of republican institutions and the country's image," according to the HAAC statement.
"Pluralism of opinion does not justify the dissemination of falsehoods or the biased presentation of news. Freedom of the press cannot be synonymous with misinformation or interference," continues the institution, which points to "repeated and reported breaches."
In a statement, the management teams at RFI and France 24 said they had "learned with surprise of the suspension of their broadcasts without prior notice," despite a "context of sustained and constructive dialogue" with the Togolese regulatory authority.
RFI and France 24 also reaffirmed "their unwavering commitment to the ethical principles of journalism, as well as their support for their teams, who deliver rigorous, independent, verified, impartial, and balanced news every day."
The management teams of both media outlets accepted the HAAC's invitation to engage in joint discussions in order to clear up any misunderstandings and enable them to continue their mission of providing information in the country.
The NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has "strongly condemned the arbitrary
suspension" of the two media outlets.
The director of RSF's Sub-Saharan Africa office, Sadibou Marong, "called on the authorities to lift these sanctions and immediately restore broadcasting" of RFI and France 24, in a statement sent to AFP.
News media outlets have been constantly sanctioned in recent years. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Gabon, and now Togo have already suspended not only RFI and France 24, but also TV5Monde, BBC News, LCI, and others for varying lengths of time.
Read: News media under pressure in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa