Mali’s High Authority for Communication (Haute Autorité de la Communication, HAC) has ordered a two-month suspension of the daily call-in show “Allô Klédu,” which is broadcast on private radio station Radio Klédu, one of the country’s most widely listened-to stations.
“Allô Klédu” is a popular programme known for giving citizens a live platform to discuss issues of public governance. In recent months, it has become a forum where many callers voice their dissatisfaction with the country’s governance.
According to the HAC, the programme had become a platform for disseminating statements that undermine public order, national security, and the credibility of public institutions. It also criticised the station’s management for failing to exercise adequate editorial rigour and impartiality in moderating callers’ contributions.
The regulator said it had engaged several officials of the station over its concerns about the programme’s content, including Bakary Cissé, the interim director of Radio Klédu, and Souleymane Coulibaly, a journalist and the programme’s interim host. However, it said management did not take sufficient action to regulate or correct certain remarks made on air. The HAC subsequently announced its decision to suspend the programme.
In accordance with Decision No. 2026-0066/P-HAC, the suspension took effect on June 25, 2026, and runs until August 25, 2026. The decision, sighted by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), from Radio Klédu was signed by HAC President, Gaoussou Coulibaly on June 19, 2026. It follows broadcasts of “Allô Klédu” aired on May 8, 13, and 14, 2026, during which callers discussed issues including fuel shortages, recurring electricity outages, and criticism that the military authorities were unable to effectively govern the country.
During these broadcasts, some callers also accused the authorities of profiting from the ongoing terrorism and having no intention of ending it. The HAC argued that these allegations were aired without evidence, fact-checking, or editorial verification, and without a balanced editorial process.
A troubling pattern of restricting broadcasters
Between 2024 and 2026, Mali’s HAC has imposed at least seven documented media suspensions, targeting both local, national and international broadcasting stations, often citing public order and limited fact-checking or editorial verification as the reasons. In January, 2024, for instance, the HAC suspended French Channel France 2 for four months and revoked the operating license of the private broadcaster, Joliba TV News in November 2024.
HAC’s website list its communiqués and decisions including multiple suspensions of media outlets. The suspension forms part of a broader pattern of restrictions on international media in Mali since the military seized power in 2020.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) calls on the Malian authorities to immediately lift the suspension as it constitutes a disproportionate restriction on the right to freedom of expression and civic participation in governance.
