France, May 3 -- Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been turned into "information deserts", observers warned, following the suspension or closure of over a dozen media outlets - including RFI and France 24 - over the past three years.

The expulsion and non-issuance of visas or accreditation to foreign journalists - especially French journalists - is seen as a sign of the determination of these regimes to rid themselves from a free press, deemed incompatible with their principles.

Journalists are also ufaced with the threat of terrorist attacks.

According to a Reporters Without Borders report published in 2023, the intensification of attacks by armed groups has "continued to reduce the space for journalists to gather information and wea...