The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, has launched a joint television station as part of efforts to strengthen information sovereignty, promote regional integration and project a common narrative across the three countries.
The new station, Tafouk TV, based in Bamako, Mali, began broadcasting in mid-September and is available via satellite, including on the Canal+ platform, as well as online.
The launch marks another step in the AES countries’ efforts to build shared institutions and media platforms following their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Mali’s Ministry of Communication described Tafouk TV as a media platform dedicated to “information sovereignty, our cultures and regional integration.”
Speaking at the launch, Mali’s Foreign Minister, Abdoulaye Diop, said the initiative was necessary to enable the three countries to develop and promote their own narrative.
“There was a need to respond and ensure that these instruments could convey our own narrative,” Diop said.
Named after the Tamasheq word for “sun,” Tafouk TV broadcasts three daily news bulletins alongside programmes covering current affairs, geopolitics, fact-checking and security matters.
The station broadcasts in French and English, as well as several regional languages, including Bambara, Mooré, Fulfulde and Hausa, in an effort to reach audiences across the three member states.
The television station is part of a broader plan by the AES governments to establish common media institutions capable of supporting their integration agenda and providing information about the activities and policies of the Confederation.
The initiative comes alongside Daandé Liptako, a confederal radio station already operating from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The AES countries have also announced plans to establish a joint news agency, which is expected to be based in Niamey, Niger.
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the AES after withdrawing from ECOWAS. The three military-led governments have accused the regional bloc of imposing sanctions they considered harmful to their populations and of pursuing policies contrary to their national interests.
With Tafouk TV, the AES is seeking to expand its shared media infrastructure while giving greater prominence to the cultures, languages and political positions of the three Sahelian countries.
