Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Guinea’s High Authority for Communication (HAC) has ordered the suspension of pan-African television channel Africa 24 from broadcasting on national territory, citing violations of media regulations during the ongoing campaign for the December 28 presidential election.
In a decision dated December 21, 2025 (No. 025/HAC/P/25), the media regulator accused Africa 24 of “illegally practicing the profession” by reporting on the election campaign without prior authorization.
The HAC said the channel aired campaign-related content while its application for accreditation was still under review.
According to the authority, the accreditation process had been delayed because Africa 24 failed to submit all documents required under Guinean law. As part of the sanction, the HAC also ordered Africa 24’s removal from the Canal+ bouquet in Guinea, effectively cutting off its distribution through one of the country’s main pay-TV platforms.
The decision is grounded in the organic law of July 2020 governing the HAC, as well as Article 72 of the electoral code, which strictly regulates media coverage during election periods.
The regulator further referenced two earlier decisions issued this year—Decisions No. 016 and No. 017/HAC/P/2025—which set out detailed rules for how public and private media are to cover the presidential campaign.
This marks the first publicly announced suspension of an international television channel since the start of the current presidential election campaign, which has unfolded amid heightened political tension.
In recent weeks, the HAC has repeatedly warned both domestic and foreign media outlets to comply strictly with accreditation requirements and campaign coverage rules, stressing what it describes as the need to preserve “equity, balance, and public order” during the electoral process. The authority has argued that unregulated coverage risks undermining the integrity of the vote.
However, the suspension of Africa 24 is likely to intensify scrutiny of Guinea’s media environment. International observers and press freedom organizations have consistently voiced concern about restrictions on journalistic activity during election periods across West Africa, warning that regulatory measures can be used to limit access to diverse sources of information.
Guinean authorities, for their part, maintain that the measures taken by the HAC are lawful and aimed solely at ensuring a regulated and fair campaign framework ahead of the December 28 vote.
