Burundi government has lifted sanctions against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after almost three years since it was banned to operate in the country.
The Burundi National Communication Council (CNC) announced that the BBC had been allowed to reopen its offices in the country and resume its services.
“You remember that we had authorised their reopening, but some formalities were needed, and now they are free to operate once again in Burundi,” said Vestine Nahimana, the CNC president.
The media regulator revoked the BBC licence in 2019 and prohibited local journalists from contributing to it. A similar fate befell the Voice of America since its indefinite suspension in April 2019.
Last year, Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye told CNC to open dialogue with banned local and international media houses for a possible reopening.
Media freedom in Burundi began shrinking in 2015 after the failed coup to oust the late former president Pierre Nkurunziza led to a ban on various local radio stations.
Burundi communication regulatory body (CNC) also suspended Voice of America (VOA) and British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC) in 2018, claiming that the two media houses reported biased stories that did not comply with journalism ethics.
