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MFWA demands immediate release of detained Sierra Leonean journalists

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is demanding the immediate release of two Sierra Leonean journalists, Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay, managing editor and editor of the Independent ObserverNewspaper respectively, from prison custody.

 The two editors were arrested by police in the Sierra Leonean Capital, Freetown, on October 18 for the publication of an article critical of the country’s President, Ernest Bai Koroma.

 The said article titled: “Who is Molesting Who: the President or the VP?” had compared President Koroma actions to a rat and also criticised the President’s alleged bad relationship with his deputy, Sam Sumana.

 After their arrest, the two editors were detained for six days without bail and without any charges. They were, however, taken to Court on October 23, and charged with 26 counts of seditious and defamatory libel, under sections 33 and 46 of the Sierra Leonean Public Order Act of 1965. If found guilty, Leigh and Sesay will face up to 3 years imprisonment. The case has been adjourned to Tuesday, October 29, 2013.

 Eleven other journalists have been interrogated and some detained by police officers within the week in connection with the publication by the Independent Observer.

 Officials of the Sierra Leonean Association of Journalists (SLAJ) have said the ongoing crackdown on press freedom is a manifestation of the government’s lack of commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression.

 “This is an attack on the press which has not been seen since the end of the war,” Kelvin Lewis, president of SLAJ said. “It is a sad day for democracy. The journalists’ rights have been violated by unconstitutionally detaining them for more than three days and as such this government can no longer lay claim to any human rights record again,” he added.

The MFWA is alarmed by the continuous detention of the two editors and the general deterioration of Press freedom and freedom of expression conditions in Sierra Leone.

We are calling on the Sierra Leonean Police Service to allow the statutory media regulatory body, the Independent Media Commission (IMC) to handle media-related complaints as mandated by the Constitution. We also urge the International community to join in demanding the immediate release of the two journalists and to get the 26 count charges dropped.

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on October 25, 2013

 The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression.

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Sierra Leone ALERT: Two journalists detained for 6 days without charge

Vivian Affoah
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Police in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, have detained the Managing Editor and Editor of theIndependent Observer Newspaper for six days without charge.

The Managing Editor Jonathan Leigh and his colleague Bai Bai Sesay were arrested on October 18, 2013 after being accused of publishing an article that the police considered defamatory to President Ernest Bai Koroma.

An MFWA source, who visited the two editors at the police station where they were held said both journalists complained of severe body pains and expressed worry about the fact that the police were unwilling to grant them bail or adhere to the constitutional requirement of charging them before a court.

 The continuous detention of the journalists violates provisions in the country’s constitution specifically Chapter 3 17(3b) and international human rights treaties that Sierra Leone is a signatory to.

The detained journalists received a letter from President Koroma’s lawyers on the day of their arrest to retract and apologise for the said publication. But before they could act on the letter, the police picked them up.

 The Secretary-General of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Moses Kargbo, condemned the manner in which the two were arrested. “The whole affair is clearly an agenda being pushed by the ruling All People’s Congress Party, despite President Koroma’s directive to his lawyers to demand a retraction and an apology from the editors”, he said.

We call on the leadership of the Sierra Leonean police to adhere to the country’s constitution provisions by ensuring that the journalists are granted bail immediately or charged for Court.

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Where is the Gh¢1million Media Development Fund? –MFWA Asks

Vivian Affoah
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On September 9, 2011, the then Vice President (and now President) John Mahama announced government’s plans to set up a Media Development Fund (MDF). The President made the announcement while addressing the 16th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards as the guest of honour.

 Following the announcement, the then Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, in his presentation of the 2012 budget to parliament, announced that Gh¢1million has been allocated to the Fund.

 Subsequently, in March 2012, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa, then a Deputy Minister of Information, announced that the Gh¢1million MDF was ready and would be operational in the second quarter of 2012.

 However in his State of the Nation on February 21, 2013, President Mahama said: “The newly established Media Development Fund aimed at improving capacity within the media will be operationalised this year.”  It was evident from the president’s statement that the MDF was not operationalised in 2012.

 Eight months after President Mahama’s promise through his State of the Nation address and two months to the end of 2013, there is no evidence of the operationalisation of the Fund.

As a media development advocacy organisation, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) recognises the value of the MDF and appreciates the significant contribution it can make to the development of the Ghanaian media if it is judiciously applied.

For example, low-interest loans from the Gh¢1million can help transform the fortunes and viability of dozens of financially and logistically-constrained rural-based media outlets that continue to play the important role of facilitating citizens’ participation in governance and development discourses and processes.

While there are pieces of information suggesting disagreements among stakeholders on how the fund should be managed, there has been silence on the fate of the Fund and whether or not there have been any disbursements.  So what exactly is preventing the operationalisation of the Fund? Given that the money was meant to be seed money, is it the case that it has been invested in anyway?

 The MFWA also calls on the Ghanaian media to take a keen interest in, track and report on issues relating to the management and utilisation of the Fund.

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on October 24, 2013

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression.

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Sierra Leone ALERT: Newspaper suspended for causing fear and panic

Vivian Affoah
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The media regulatory body, Independent Media Commission (IMC), in Sierra Leone has suspended The Watchman, a privately-owned newspaper based in the capital Freetown for what the IMC described a “misleading and mischievious” headline. The newspaper is to be out of circulation until November 11, 2013.

According to the MFWA’s monitor in the country, the newspaper in its October 11 edition carried a front-page story captioned: “Al-Shabab to attack Youyi Building.” According to the IMC, the story “led to the disruption of the normal administrative operations of the various ministries, departments and agencies housed at the said building on Friday, October 11, 2013”.

The IMC, in a communiqué, accused the newspaper of using its “misleading and mischievous” headline, “as an attempt to cause alarm and panic amongst peaceful citizens who at the time visited the Youyi building on official business.”

Reports from the MFWA’s monitor in the country confirmed that the body of the story did not match the headline.

The IMC has however, given the newspaper an option to appeal against the penalty.

In as much as the MFWA advocates for freedom of expression, we also urge journalists in Sierra Leone to uphold and adhere to the code of ethics of the profession.

For more information please contact

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70

Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts    https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Freedom of Expression in Mali Improving – MFWA

Vivian Affoah
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The MFWA is pleased to share with you its latest report on monitoring Freedom of Expression (FoE) and safety of journalists’ in Mali (July – August, 2013). The report (as attached) – “Freedom of Expression in Mali Improving” – is the second of a series of monitoring reports to be issued within the year. The report shows that general human rights conditions, FoE and the work of the media are progressing steadily.

The monitoring exercise forms part of a project being implemented by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Copenhagen-based International Media Support (IMS) and Dakar-based Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA) on Freedom of Expression (FoE) and safety of journalists’ in Mali following the negative impact of the year-long crisis.

The objective of the project is to strengthen the territorial integrity of Mali through bridging a content divide between the North and South, and by building capacity of journalists in conflict sensitive journalism and ethical content production and sharing.

Freedom of Expression in Mali Improving – MFWA Monitoring Report

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on October 18, 2013

 The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression.

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Cote d’Ivoire UPDATE: Regulatory body rejects appeal, maintains sanctions against newspaper

Vivian Affoah
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The statutory press regulator of Cote d’Ivoire, Conseil National de Presse (CNP), has thrown out an appeal filed by Seydou Coulibaly, editor of the privately-owned Le Jour Plus newspaper.

 The Editor had filed the appeal to lift sanctions imposed on the newspaper and one of its journalists, Abou Traoré.

 According to the MFWA’s monitor in the country, the appeal filed by the newspaper’s editor, Seydou Coulibaly, was to request the Conseil National de Presse (CNP) to lift sanctions it imposed on the newspaper and one journalist, Abou Traoré, on September 13, 2013.

 The Conseil National de Presse (CNP) suspended the journalist on September 13, 2013 for a period of three months for plagiarism while publishers of Le Jour Plus, SAEI Press House, were also fined an amount of One Million Francs (about US$2000).

 On October 10 when the appeal was heard, the regulator rejected the appeal explaining that “Coulibaly has no jurisdiction to act on behalf of the implicated journalist and SAEI Press House.”

 The MFWA appeals to the Conseil National de Presse (CNP) to reconsider its decision and drop the sanctions. We also urge journalists in Cote d’Ivoire to uphold and adhere to the code of ethics of the profession.

For more information please contact

Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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The Media’s Coverage of the 2012 Election Petition Adjudication

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa is holding a series of special forums on the performance of Ghana’s media in the coverage of the Supreme Court’s adjudication and ruling on the 2012 Election Petition.

The forums, themed “The Media’s Coverage of the 2012 Election Petition Adjudication: Successes, Challenges and the way forward”, are targeted at court reporters, news editors and other journalists.

They are aimed at highlighting the high points in media’s reportage; challenges (in terms of quality of reportage, ethical/professional/legal issues, resource allocation, etc.); and recommendations for reporting high-profile issues in the future.

The forums form part of activities being undertaken by the MFWA under the last phase of its language monitoring project which is funded by STAR-Ghana.

The language monitoring project was initiated during the Supreme Court’s Adjudication of the 2012 Election Petition to help reduce incidence of hate speech and indecent expressions that could threaten the peace of the country.

The forums begin in Tamale (on Thursday, October 17, 2013) and will be followed by two others in Kumasi (Monday, October 28, 2013) and Accra (Tuesday, October 29, 2013).

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on October 17, 2013

 

Gambia ALERT: Journalist charged with giving false information after 23 days in detention

Vivian Affoah
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After 23 days in detention without a charge, popular television broadcaster, Ms Fatou Camara, has been charged before a Magistrate Court in the capital, Banjul. She is charged with two criminal counts of giving and publishing false information.

According to MFWA’s sources in the country, Ms Camara is been tried under Section 173A (1) (a) of the Information and Communication Act 2013, which was recently passed, and section 59 of the country’s criminal code.

“The charges come in the wake of accusations against Camara for giving false information with the intent to incite disaffection against and tarnish the image of President Yahya Jammeh and the Government of the Gambia,” the sources said.

She has, however, denied the accusations and has been granted a bail in the sum of 5 million Dalasis (about US$14,776). She will re-appear before the Court on October 28, 2013.

The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) arrested Camara on September 17 over allegations that she has been passing information to the international media, particularly a US-based newspaper, Freedom Newspaper, which is critical of President Jammeh.

The on-going trial is another attempt by the Gambian authorities to further repress freedom of expression and press freedom through the application of inimical laws including the recently passed repressive internet legislation.

The MFWA appeals to the authorities to drop the charges and respect the rights of the Gambian citizens to freely express themselves as guaranteed by the country’s Constitution and the human rights mechanism which have been ratified by the Gambia.

We also commend the efforts by the Gambia Press Union in filing a suit at the High Court demanding the release of Camara.

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Prioritise Internet Penetration, Access in Ghana – CSOs Urge Gov’t

Vivian Affoah
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Representatives from over 30 Ghanaian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have appealed to the government to prioritise and increase investment for improving internet penetration and access in the country.

 The group of CSO representatives made the call on Monday during a capacity building workshop on internet freedom in Ghana held in Accra. The workshop, which was aimed at increasing the knowledge and awareness of CSOs on internet freedom and governance issues, was organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with support from the UK-based Global Partners and Associates (GPA).

 Opening the workshop, Deputy Executive Director of the MFWA, Sulemana Braimah, said increasing internet penetration and creating conditions that will help make the internet open and accessible, should be a priority to the government.

“The internet has become the most influential driver of global development. It has become the most powerful tool that facilitates dialogue and engagement among citizens, and helps engender citizens’ participation in governance discourses in a way that nurtures a culture of social accountability. Access to the internet by a large section of the Ghanaian population should thus be seen as a prerequisite for Ghana’s development,” he stated.

Highlights of the findings of a mapping study conducted as part of the MFWA’s internet freedom project indicated that internet penetration in Ghana was still below 20 percent. This means over 80 percent of Ghanaians are yet to have access to the internet.

The mapping report also highlighted the need for a much stronger civil society involvement in internet policy discussions and debates in Ghana. It further called for increased public education on internet policy and governance issues in order to harness public support for an imporved internet environment in Ghana.

As part of the workshop a Civil Society Coalition on Internet Freedom in Ghana was formed with 22 CSOs as the initial members.

The coalition, which is being co-ordinated by the MFWA, is intended to serve as a platform for increasing CSO-government engagements on internet policy issues. The group will also initiate CSO-led policy dialogues and advocacy for enhancing internet freedom in Ghana.

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

Gambia ALERT: State-owned TV broadcaster detained incommunicado for days

Vivian Affoah
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A State TV broadcaster and celebrated show host, Ms Fatou Camara, has been languishing in custody at the headquarters of the dreaded National Intelligence Agency (NIA), since her arrest on September 17, 2013.

Approximately eight days after her arrest, Ms Camara who is also the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of President Yahya Jammeh, has been denied access to her family and lawyers.

According to the MFWA’s sources in the country, she has been placed under investigation and no charge has been preferred against her. The NIA also took her passwords and searched through her emails.

According to the sources, Camara’s arrest is linked to allegations from the State House that she has been passing information to the international media, particularly a US-based newspaper, Freedom Newspaper, which is critical of President Jammeh.

The NIA arrested her on September 15, 2013 and interrogated her for two days before releasing her on September 17. However, barely an hour after her release she was re-arrested purportedly on an order from the State House, the sources reported.

 “Before her re-arrest, the NIA demanded for passwords to her email, skype and facebook accounts,” a family source said.

The MFWA protests this arbitrary detention which is a clear violation of a person’s right to liberty. The continuous detention of Ms Camara contradicts provisions under Article 19 sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Constitution of The Gambia which protects citizens from arbitrary arrests and detentions.

We thus, condemn her detention and demand that the authorities uphold the Constitution and ensure her immediate release or charge her to Court.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

 Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

Visit our Facebook page                               Media Foundation for West Africa

MFWA: Threats to Kessben FM journalists worrying, police should investigate

Vivian Affoah
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The MFWA is worried about recent serious threats on the lives of three journalists of the Kumasi-based radio station, Kessben FM. The threats follow a discussion programme on the station on September 9, 2013, during which certain defamatory comments were made against the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The General Manager of the radio station, Andrew Danso-Aninkora, confirmed to the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) that three journalists have received threatening text messages from unknown persons.

The three journalists who have received life threatening text messages are Omanhene Yaw Adu Boakye, Programmes Manager, Confidence K. Badu, Deputy News Editor and Ali Baba Dankabari, Newscaster.

The General Manager confirmed a news report in the September 17 edition of the Daily Guide newspaper, that both Adu Boakye and Ali Baba received a message from phone number +233266264462 which read: “The programme on your FM, breaking news, is good. The next news will be the murder of the three of you. Do you remember the killing of a journalist in Kumasi some years back? Get ready. We will get you at dawn or noon. You can say you don’t care but trust us. It’s just a matter of time. You people think you can joke with Otumfuo. It’s just a matter of time. Do you remember the death of some journalists? Call it a bluff.”

Confidence Badu, also received a message from phone number +2335466572 which read “Your breaking news will break the death of you people. You think you can joke with Otumfuo. It’s just a matter of time.”

Remembering the unfortunate death of Mr. Samuel Ennin, a former President of the Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), who was shot and killed on February 9, 2007 by unknown assailants, the seriousness of the recent threats on the three journalists cannot be downplayed.

The MFWA, therefore, calls on the Ashanti regional Police Command to thoroughly investigate the threats and also offer protection to the journalists.

While we condemn the broadcast of the defamatory content by the station, we wish to commend the Asanteman Traditional Council for resorting to the most appropriate redress mechanism of filing a complaint before the National Media Commission (NMC), the statutory media regulator.

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

Visit our Facebook page                               Media Foundation for West Africa

MFWA – Strengthening Marginalised Voices for Democratic Development

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with the Nigeria-based Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) will hold a special forum to mark this year’s AU Democracy Day on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at the Ghana International Press Centre.

 The forum, which is under the theme “Strengthening Marginalised Voices for Democratic Development: The Role of the Ghanaian Media,” is aimed at sensitising the media on the need to effectively amplify voices of marginalized groups and their inclusiveness in the democratic processes of the country.

 The event will bring together representatives from the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, Gender Activists and Women’s Groups, Civil Society Organisations, representatives from some deprived communities and the media community to discuss effective ways of strengthening marginalised voices in public discourse.

 The celebration of the AU Democracy Day forms part of activities under a project by the two organisations (MFWA & CDD-Nigeria) – Monitoring Ghana’s Implementation of International Instruments on Democracy and Governance.

 The project focuses on tracking and reporting the status of Ghana’s implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance (ACDEGG) and the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance (EPDGG).

 The project will also involve other activities that highlight and popularise the two key international governance instruments in Ghana, with the view to increasing public demand for the Ghanaian government to fulfil its obligations and responsibilities under the Charter and Protocol.

 The International Day of Democracy is marked every September 15 across the globe to celebrate democracy. The theme for this year’s celebration is Strengthening Voices for Democracy.

 Issued by the MFWA in Accra on September 17, 2013

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