President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza

The Burundian government has banned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Voice of America (VOA) for allegedly spreading what it described as fake news.

The country’s media regulator accused the BBC of broadcasting content which has put its national cohesion and reconciliation at stake and condemned VOA for employing an opposition figure wanted in connection with the violence that preceded a May 2015 coup attempt.

The landlocked Central African country issued an indefinite suspension on the international UK and US media houses for spreading what it described as lies and disinformation to its people.

In a statement put out over the weekend, the media regulator said it revoked the  BBC’s license over its failure to take proper measures following the airing of a documentary which authorities said contained falsehoods.

The VOA saw its license revoked for employing one Patrick Nduwimana, a radio journalist suspected of being involved in a failed coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunziza in 2015.

Both the BBC and the VOA had received six-month suspensions last May ahead of a constitutional referendum seeking to allow for the extension of Nkurunziza’s term in office by two terms.

Meanwhile the BBC has blasted the Burundian government’s unwarranted decision against itself and the VOA, saying that the move “strikes a serious blow against media freedom.”

VOA Director, Amanda Bennett said the US government-funded broadcaster was alarmed that reporters in Burundi are now forbidden to communicate with VOA, echoing BBC’s sentiment that such threats to journalists undermine press freedom on the continent.