Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Launch Tafouk TV for Sahel Narrative

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are stepping up their joint media push with Tafouk TV, a new television channel aimed at challenging Western coverage and promoting the three military-led Sahel states' own account of events. Broadcasting from Bamako and available through Canal+, the channel is part of a wider media network being developed by the Alliance of Sahel States - or AES - as its members deepen ties with Russia and distance themselves from France and other Western partners. "We had to strike back... to ensure that these platforms could spread our own narrative," Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said this month. Tafouk TV, whose name means "Sun" in Tamasheq, the language spoken by many Tuareg communities across the Sahel, began official programming on 16 September. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines Its presentation draws heavily on regional imagery. The opening theme is inspired by the music of traditional Dozo hunters, while the logo of its Communication Intervention Brigade programme features a shield incorporating a camera, microphone and pen. "When plotters attempt to destabilise the state, the battle plays out not just in the barracks, but also on our screens, in newspaper columns and on social media," said presenter Abdoul Niang, Tafouk TV's news director and a cyberactivist close to Mali's military authorities . One programme featured pan-African influencer Franklin Nyamsi, a supporter of the Sahel juntas, analysing French media coverage of a thwarted mutiny in Niger in August. Burkina Faso added to human rights watchlist over crackdown on civil society Battle over the narrative Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have progressively broken with Western governments, particularly former colonial power France, while strengthening diplomatic and security ties with Russia. Military leaders in the three countries justified their takeovers partly by citing the failure of civilian governments to contain years of jihadist violence. Armed groups nevertheless remain active across large parts of the region, with civilians and security forces continuing to be killed. The juntas have also faced criticism over restrictions on political opposition and the media. Foreign correspondents have been expelled and several major Western broadcasters suspended or banned after reporting military losses or accounts that contradicted official claims of battlefield successes. How a disinformation network is destabilising the Alliance of Sahel States Tafouk TV broadcasts three daily news bulletins focused on the three members of the Alliance of Sahel States, or AES . Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger created the alliance before withdrawing from the Economic Community of West African States, Ecowas , and have since sought to build common political, security and diplomatic structures. Niger's state television said the launch meant Sahel populations were "no longer passive consumers of false and manipulated stories coming from fake news factories". Tafouk TV plans programmes on fact-checking, geopolitics and frontline developments in French, English and regional languages including Bambara and Hausa. Russia has openly supported the project. Moscow's ambassador to Mali, Igor Gromyko, praised its planned role in fighting "disinformation and cognitive warfare" in June. A month later, Tafouk TV signed a cooperation agreement in Niamey with the parent company of Russian state-funded broadcaster RT, covering content exchanges, expertise and joint coverage of events in Russia and the Sahel. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger jointly announce withdrawal from the ICC Building an AES media network The television channel follows the laun