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Cote d’Ivoire ALERT: Police detains boss of pro-Gbagbo media group

Vivian Affoah
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Ousmane Sy Savané, Director General of Cylcone, a pro-Gbagbo publishing company, was reportedly picked up by police personnel drawn from the Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DST) in Abidjan, the commercial capital, on March 27, 2012.

Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that no reasons have so far been given for his arrest and subsequent detention. According to eye witnesses, Sy Savané was arrested in his office in Cocody (Abidjan) at about 13:00hours GMT. His office was also thoroughly searched and computers from the office taken away and returned to the office after an hour.

Cyclone Publishing Limited is owned by the second wife of ex-President Laurent Gbagbo. The company publishes two dailies, Le Temps and LG Info as well as a weekly Luxury Mag . The correspondent said the journalists of Le Temps newspaper believe his arrest is related to a trip he made to neighbouring Ghana last week. Many pro-Gbagbo loyalists including the militants, who fought on his side, took refuge in Accra, Ghana’s capital after Gbagbo was arrested on April 11, 2011.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Ghana UPDATE: Government rescinds decision to boycott multimedia group

Vivian Affoah
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A bitter stand-off between the Government of Ghana and Multimedia Group Limited, an Accra-based independent media group has been resolved after a meeting between the two sides called at the instance of the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) on March 23, 2012.

“GIBA and GJA thanked both teams for the opportunity to discuss the issues. The Government side reiterated its commitment to expanding the frontiers of media freedom. MGL also listened to the concerns of Government, and GIBA and GJA expect that the media and government will continue to dialogue”, a statement issued by the two side after the meeting, said on March 20, a deputy minister of information, James Agyenim-Boateng, who announced the government’s action, said it was necessary to protect the safety of its functionaries, who he alleged had no protection whenever they appeared on the programmes of the media group. The MGL, which includes Joy FM, Asempa FM, Luv FM ,Nhyira FM, Hitz FM , Adom FM and Multi TV, was accused of consistent “bias”. On March 21, the deputy minister, reiterated the government’s descion and emphasised that the directive included all ministries, departments and agencies.

Earlier, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) had boycotted the media group on the same grounds of “bias”. The government’s action was in reaction to an incident of near-violence at Asempa FM, one of the group’s stations. On February 22, supporters of the major opposition New Patriotic Party besieged Asempa FM to protest what the opposition also claimed was bias against the party by Kwabena Bobbie Ansah, the host of an afternoon political discussion programme. The massing up of the NPP supporters resulted in an abrupt end of the day’s programme. The programme later came on air without Bobbie Ansah, who is alleged to have been suspended by managers of the company.

“In light of the large development on Asempa FM which led to a mob of NPP people led by Anthony Karbo (NPP’s National Youth organizer) storming the station, this incident for example did not find any space in the news bulletin of Joy FM and so by their conduct they have shown that they cannot be a fair and neutral party. “We consider that not in our interest… more importantly, we cannot guarantee the safety of our people when they appear on their stations,”Agyenin-Boateng told an Accra-based CitiFM. MGL has since denied the government’s claims.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Sierra Leone ALERT: District chairman forces Radio Wanjei off air after confiscating broadcast equipment

Vivian Affoah
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Radio Wanjei, a community radio station in Pujehun, a town in southern Sierra Leone, has been off air for the past eight days after the Chairman of Pujehun District Council, Sadiq Sallah, on March 19, 2012 reportedly stormed the station and seized their broadcasting equipment for allegedly breaching a contract with the Council.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that the station had reached an agreement with the Council and the two major political parties in the country earlier in the day to begin a one-week programme from the evening of March 19 at 20: 30 to 21:30 GMT of the same day. The programme was to sensitize the Pujehun community about the ongoing voter registration exercise for a fee of 100,000 Leones (approx. 25 US$).

Melvin Rogers, the station’s manager told the correspondent that, he notified his colleagues about this arrangement only for him to be informed that Sallah had gone to the studio and asked his staff members to leave the studio for the programme to start. “The announcer pleaded with him (Sallah) to give them few minutes so that they can complete the announcement (they were making), but he refused and instead took away the two microphones. He also dragged the announcer from the studio, and rained abusive language at them. He destroyed the public notices and news scripts (that they were reading).” Rogers told the correspondent.

“We have made a report to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Independent Media Commission (IMC) and Independent Radio Network (IRN) and we are waiting for their responses,” Roger added.  Sallah had in an interview with the correspondent, justified his action, saying it was in response to the rude and unprofessional behaviour shown towards him by the station staff.  “When the time came for the programme to start, the station manager was not around and his staff said they already had a programme with the Anti-Corruption Commission, that was broadcasting, and that we must wait for it to end before we could gain access to the studio,’ he explained. “When they finished the Anti-Corruption programme, they switched the station off, and left us there, saying we have to do the programme all alone.” The correspondent said the council chairman then took away the microphones, for the station to see the serious nature of their behaviour.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

 

Sierra Leone ALERT: TV cameraman attacked by opposition party supporters

Vivian Affoah
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Jerry Cole, a senior television cameraman of the state-owned Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), was on March 12, 2012 attacked by some supporters of the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in Freetown, the capital.

Cole and his colleague reporter, Unisa Deen Kargbo, had gone to record an interview with the SLPP officials at the party’s headquarters on the ongoing voter registration exercise for the November 17, 2012 general election.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that without provocation, the supporters attacked the journalist while he was shooting persons being interviewed by his colleague Kargbo.

“I don’t see where I went wrong to interview any one of them. It was a lady who first approached me in a rude manner and tried to push me out of the building without even asking me why my camera is on. I was only taking the footage while Unisa Deen Kargbo was conducting the interviews. This is a big disappointment for a party that wants to come to power,” Cole told the correspondent.

Cole said his assailants, whom he suspected to be intoxicated with a substance believed to be marijuana, attacked him after they had successfully interviewed Sulaiman Banja Tejan Sie, the SLPP Secretary General.

“These so called supporters attacked and rained all sorts of invectives on me to the extent that a lady attempted to harm me and had it not been for the timely intervention of passers-by and Unisa Deen Kargbo the angry party supporters would have torn me to pieces,” he emphasized.

The MFWA appeals to freedom of expression lovers to petition the SLPP party leadership to restrain their supporters from attacking Journalists performing their professional obligations.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Cote d’ Ivoire UPDATE: RTI Bouake resumes broadcasting after ten years off air

Vivian Affoah
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RTI Bouaké, a television station belonging to the state-owned Ivorian Broadcasting Service, which went off air after it was vandalized on September 19, 2002 resumed broadcasting on March 1, 2012.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent in Abidjan reported that the station is operating with ultra-modern equipment with a transmitter capable of carrying quality images and sound within a radius of about 65 kilometres.

The correspondent said at the station has since been relaunched with its new slogan, “a new vision”, promised to be more interactive by factoring the views and concerns of its viewers in the station’s programme.

RTI Bouake is housed on the premises of RTI Bouaké which is located in the central-northern region of Cote d’Ivoire. The premises were plundered at the beginning of the military-cum -political crisis in September, 2002. Radio Bouake was reopened on December 29, 2011.

MFWA is happy about this development and hopes that RTI Bouaké would serve the public interest by being accountable to Ivoirians and not the government.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Guinea ALERT: Journalist violently assaulted by gendarmes

Vivian Affoah
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Ms. Kounkou Mara, a journalist with Le Lynx, aprivately-owned newspaperbelonging to the Conakry-based Le Lynx-La Lance media group, was on February 27, 2012, reportedly assaulted by gendarmes stationed at the Central Bank of Guinea.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that Ms. Kounkou had gone to the central bank to participate in a TV programme. The programme was part of activities marking the 52nd anniversary celebration of the bank.

“When I got to the entrance of the central bank, gendarmes who were sitting there asked me to show my press card; when I brought it out, they asked me whether I was from state media; I said that as my card shows, I am from the private press. They immediately got annoyed. I went through the gate and was about to enter the hall when a captain caught up with me and ordered me to get back. I did just that.”

Ms. Kounkou, who has since been discharged from hospital, continued that:“At the gate, four gendarmes got hold of me and rained blows on me. They then threw me out and I fell down and hit my head against the wall. I injured my head”.

MFWA is concerned that despite the progress in respect for media rights in Guinea following the return to civilian rule after decades of dictatorship, journalists, particularly those from the private media in Guinea are attacked with impunity mostly by state security agents.

Worse still, the perpetrators of these acts go unpunished. This, the MFWA believes, may promote a culture of impunity and undermine media freedom in the new Guinea.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

The Gambia UPDATE: ECOWAS Court orders Gambia to pay compensation to tortured newspaper editor

Vivian Affoah
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The ECOWAS Community Court in Abuja, Nigeria, on February 6, 2012 ordered the Gambian government to comply with its ruling on Musa Saidykahn, a former editor-in-chief of the banned The Independent newspaper, by compensating him for violating his human rights in 2006.

On December 16, 2010, the regional court confirmed that Saidykhan, was tortured by President Yahya Jammeh’s security agents while in detention in 2006. It also ruled that Saidykhan’s arrest and subsequent detention were illegal and violated his right to personal liberty and a fair hearing as guaranteed by Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. The ECOWAS court, therefore, awarded Saidykhan damages of US$200,000.

This latest order followed an application filed by the Gambian authorities, the defendant in the case, asking the court to set aside the judgment as they claimed was “miscarriage of justice since the court failed to properly appraise the evidence on record.” They also said the award to the Plaintiff (Saidykhan) is outrageous since there is no evidence on record to show the basis upon which the amount was calculated”.

However, in the court ruling this week, it dismissed the claims by the Gambia authorities on the grounds that there was no new evidence in their (government)’s application that would warrant such an application and therefore awarded cost against the Gambian authorities.

Saidykhan was among scores of Gambians arrested in 2006 after a purported coup attempt. He was repeatedly tortured until he became unconscious. The continuous torture left scars on his back, legs, arms, and right hand, which was broken in three places.

Saidykhan is not the only victim of the repressive regime of President Jammeh. Another journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh, a reporter of privately-owned pro-government the Daily Observer newspaper, has “disappeared” since his arrest by security agencies in July 2006.

After a long period of non-action by the authorities to either acknowledge or investigate the human rights violations of the journalists, Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) brought the legal action on behalf of Saidykhan and Chief Manneh.

In the case of Chief Manneh, the community court in July 2008, ordered the Gambian government to release Chief Manneh, and pay him a compensation of US$ 100,000 for the violation of his human rights. The judgment was given in default as the Gambian government refused to enter an appearance.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Cote d’Ivoire ALERT: Police arrests newspaper editor

Vivian Affoah
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On the evening of January 31, 2012, Charles Sanga, managing editor of Le Patroite, a pro- Ouattara, daily newspaper, was arrested by officials of the Ivorian National Surveillance Directorate (DST) in Abidjan for refusing to reveal the source of information.

The newspaper had published a news story on the same day about the invalidation of eleven seats in last year’s parliamentary elections in the country ahead of the official announcement by the Constitutional Council in the evening.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that the authorities had also requested Jean-Claude Coulibaly, the author of the story, to also report to the DST.

The correspondent said the authorities are accusing the newspaper of “publishing confidential information”.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Cote d’ Ivoire UPDATE: Two detained journalists released

Vivian Affoah
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Two journalists of Le Patroite, a pro-Ouattara daily newspaper, who were detained by Ivorian National Surveillance Directorate (DST), were on the evening of February 1, 2012 released without charge.

Charles Sanga, managing editor was arrested on January 31, 2012 after he refused to disclose the source of the day’s publication. In the case of Jean-Claude Coulibaly and the author of the said publication, he was detained in the afternoon of February 1, after he had responded to an invitation by DST.

In that publication, the newspaper broke a news story ahead of an official announcement by the country’s Constitutional Council of the invalidation of eleven seats in last year’s parliamentary election in the country.

The two were released at about 18: 35 GMT.

Although the intelligence agency accused the two of “publishing confidential information”, the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that there is no clear indication as to whether the charges would be pressed against them or not.

MFWA adds its voice to the widespread condemnation of the authorities for forcing the journalists to reveal their source of information. We believe the arrest and subsequent detention of the two were not justified and constitutes an attack on press freedom in Cote d’Ivoire.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Senegal ALERT: Detained Human Rights Defender released without charge, journalists and activists attacked

Vivian Affoah
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Alioune Tine, a human rights defender, also political activist who was arrested and detained for organizing a demonstration against the third term bid of President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, was on January 30, 2012 released after a 72-hour detention, without charge. The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that Tine was picked-up by officials of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Senegalese Police at about 1700GMT on January 28, 2012, a day after he led the demonstration.

Tine, is the coordinator of the June 23 Movement, a coalition of civil society and opposition political parties protests, formed last year to oppose President Abdoulaye Wade’s plans to run for a third term. Although, he was not charged, he was reportedly grilled for a long time on issues relating to the demonstration.

The January 27 protest was one of the series of protest against President Wade’s controversial third term. It began in June 2011 when he started series of his constitutional amendments to realise his ambition. This latest protest was to condemn the Constitutional Council for clearing fourteen candidates including President Wade to contest the February 26 elections.

One of the disqualified aspirants,Youssou Ndour, an international pop star and Grammy-award winning singer, was prevented from visiting Tine by the police.

The correspondent said journalists of Agence France Presse (AFP) and privately-owned Populaire newspaper and some members of M23 Movement were also assaulted by the security forces in the early hours of that day at the Oblisque Square in Dakar.

This is not the first time that Tine, Secretary- General of Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l’homme(RADDHO), a prominent Dakar-based human rights NGO, had been attacked over President Wade’s third term bid. In June 2011, he was violently assaulted by militants of the ruling Parti Démocratique Sénégalais (PDS) after a controversial constitutional amendment by President Wade. Tine was injured and hospitalized for a few days.

The correspondent said Tine is not perturbed about the alleged “inhuman conditions” he suffered while in detention and had vowed to continue with the struggle until President Wade rescinds his decision.

On January 30, two people were killed in similar protests in the north of the country, but despite this the protesters plan to continue.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

The Gambia UPDATE: Newspaper journalist accused of criminal defamation makes first appearance in court

Vivian Affoah
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Mamadou S. Jallow, a reporter for the privately-owned Daily News on January 24, 2012 made his first appearance in court to answer criminal defamation charges allegedly made against Mamadou Lamin Baldeh, a local chief in western Gambia. The charges against the journalist stemmed from a January 4, 2012 article he wrote in which he had alleged that a rice farmer, Boto Fatojo, had accused Chief Baldeh of giving his Hajj ticket (a sponsorship from President Yahya Jammeh to embark on the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia) to his lover.

The article headlined: “Presidential Hajj Package Scandal: Chief Baldeh Allegedly Bribes Lover”, which appeared on the front-page of the Daily News carried the version of Chief Baldeh who denied the allegations by the rice farmer.

Jallow together with the rice farmer were on January 6 arrested and detained for about five hours at the Bansang police station.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

The Gambia UPDATE: Former minister jailed for life for demanding an end to dictatorship

Vivian Affoah
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A criminal court in Gambia on January 17, 2012 convicted Dr. Amadou Scattered Janneh, a former Minister of Information and Communication of treason and sentenced him to life imprisonment with hard labour. Three others, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow, both Gambians, and a Nigerian citizen, Michael C. Ucheh Thomas, were also handed a three year sentence each by the court presided over by Emmanuel Nkea, a Nigerian-born judge.

Before the sentence, Dr. Janneh, a former outspoken critic of President Jammeh and his jailed colleagues, had been on remand after their arrest on June 7, 2011. They were charged with two counts of treasonable offences for distributing materials demanding an end to the authoritarian rule of President Yayha Jammeh.

According to the prosecution, Dr. Janneh and his three jailed colleagues conspired with others including Ndey Tapha Sosseh, former Gambian Press Union (GPU) chairperson “to overthrow the Government of The Gambia by unlawful means”.

All the convicted persons belong to a political pressure group, Gambian Coalition for Change that printed the anti-government T-shirt in an election year.

During the trial, the prosecution which has demanded the death penalty called 14 witnesses who gave evidence against the accused persons. However, Dr. Janneh and his colleagues declined to open their defence or call witnesses. Instead, their lawyer, Lamin Camara, filed a written address to the court.

MFWA strongly condemns the judicial system in the Gambia for imposing unjust prison sentences on Dr. Janneh and three others did no wrong by asking Gambians to end the authoritarian regime. We ask the international community to pressurize the Gambian government to reverse the court’s decision.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

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