In response to the Burundian government’s decision to ban the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) from operating in the country and to continue the suspension of the Voice of America (VOA) until further notice, Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Great Lakes and the Horn, said:

“The withdrawal of the BBC’s operating license and continued suspension of the VOA are further brazen efforts by the Burundian authorities to silence the media.

“The government has also forbidden any journalists in the country from sharing information with the BBC and VOA that could be broadcast. This decision is nothing more than a further ploy to stifle freedom of expression, which has been under siege since the start of the political crisis in April 2015.

“Burundian authorities must stop treating the media with contempt and immediately reinstate the BBC and VOA’s crucial radio broadcasting services, which are crucial to ensuring an independent and diverse media in the country and fulfilling people’s right to information.”