French Media Manipulation: When propaganda whitewashes terrorism in Mali
A French media outlet, known for its pro-Western editorial line, recently reported on an ambush targeting the Malian army between Anefis and Aguelhoc in the Kidal region. According to this biased account, two “rebel groups” the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the jihadists of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (JNIM) targeted a military convoy, resulting in several deaths. Behind this seemingly innocuous wording lies a flagrant case of disinformation: describing JNIM as “rebels” is nothing short of propaganda.
Terrorists, not rebels
Labeling JNIM a “rebel group” is not a mere linguistic clumsiness; it is deliberate manipulation.
For years, the United Nations, G5 Sahel states, and the vast majority of the international community have classified this organization for what it truly is: a terrorist armed group.
Unlike the FLA, JNIM does not claim political autonomy or an identity-based cause.
It does not fight for territorial recognition within the Malian state. Its agenda is global, rooted in crime and terror.
Its methods; suicide bombings, improvised explosive devices targeting civilians in markets, atrocities against local populations are those of international terrorism. Erasing this distinction serves only to whitewash their crimes.
The Imperialist connection
This manipulation is far from innocuous. Behind this deceptive semantics lies a darker reality: the direct or indirect support of certain imperialist powers for these destabilization forces.
By refusing to name the enemy for what it is, these media outlets often owned by foreign capital; serve the interests of their backers.
They prepare public opinion for a potential “outstretched hand” or future legitimization of these groups, with the aim of further weakening sovereign Sahelian states.
The unspoken objective is to maintain constant pressure on Mali, justify permanent interference, and plunder the resources of a region deliberately kept in chaos for easier control.
Speaking truth to power
It is time to denounce this objective complicity between predatory great powers and the terrorist hordes they exploit.
By calling a spade a spade, and a terrorist a terrorist, we defend not only the truth but also the right of the Malian people to live in peace on land freed from oppression and foreign manipulation.
Neil CAMARA
