Guinea bans France 24 nationwide after dispute over coverage of President Doumbouya

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LAGOS – Guinea’s High Authority for Communication, HAC, has banned French international broadcaster France 24 from broadcasting across the country with immediate effect from September 17, 2026, escalating a dispute over the channel’s coverage of President Mamadi Doumbouya.

The regulator said the decision followed a formal notice issued to France 24 on September 16 over the use of what it described as an inappropriate and derogatory term referring to the president.

Several Guinean media reports identified the disputed expression as “president putschiste”, or “putschist president”, used during a France 24 news programme broadcast on September 15.

The HAC ordered France 24 to stop using the term and to make editorial corrections across its digital platforms.

The regulator subsequently said the broadcaster had failed to comply with the notice, describing the alleged refusal as a continuing violation and a challenge to its regulatory authority.

The ban covers all technical means of distribution, including satellite, cable, mobile applications, websites and social media.

The HAC also revoked France 24’s authorisation to broadcast in Guinea and withdrew the press accreditations of its correspondents, special envoys and other staff operating in the country.

The regulator has asked Guinea’s telecommunications authority, ARPT, to block digital access to France 24 and instructed Canal+ Guinea to immediately stop carrying the channel’s signal.

The HAC said the measure was adopted during an extraordinary session and was justified by the need to protect public order, institutional stability and the country’s image.

The decision does not specify an end date or publicly stated conditions for restoring France 24’s authorisation.

France 24, meanwhile, reportedly apologised on air over the disputed wording, according to the Senegalese Press Agency, APS, citing Agence France-Presse. The HAC nevertheless proceeded with the ban, saying it had established a failure to comply with its formal notice.

The decision marks a significant escalation in Guinea’s regulatory action against international media. It also comes alongside the HAC’s withdrawal, on September 16, of the accreditation of a Jeune Afrique correspondent, citing alleged professional and ethical breaches.