Two journalists of the Abidjan-based privately-owned L’Expression newspaper were grilled by the Ivoirian police for a long period over a February 8 article that the newspaper carried on an alleged casualties of a para-military group’s clamp down on demonstrators.

Diarrassouba Youssouf and Dembele Al Seni, publisher and reporter respectively, of the newspaper were subjected to questioning for over ten hours.

The two were interrogated on various issues ranging from their intention for publishing the article to their political affiliation. L’Expression newspaper had alleged that Mama Militia, a paramilitary group in the Abidjan District of Gagnoa, killed five of the protesters and injured several others as part of a move to clampdown on the demonstrators.

The demonstrations had been called to protest President Laurent Gbagbo’s call for the dissolution of the government and the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI). They were organised by the Rallye des Houphouétistes pour la Démocratie et pour la Paix (RHDP), a coalition of the four main opposition parties in the country.

That was the second time that Youssouf, also known as “Gnaore David”, had been summoned for questioning by the authorities over events relating to the demonstrations. On May 7, Youssouf was summoned for questioning by the Regional Police Commander for allegedly relaying information to France 24 television station and other Ivorian media. The journalist, who did not deny using the information when confronted by the police commander, was carrying on with his normal duties until May 5, when he was summoned to the police station.

Dembele Al Seni, who wrote the February 20 article, was on May 26 asked to report to the police again. He was released without charge.

Some musicians in Cote d’Ivoire were unhappy with the country’s national television station, Radio Television Ivoirienne (RTI) for refusing to broadcast their music.

The pro-opposition L’Expression, newspaper cited two of the affected musicians, Fadal Dey and Lago Paulin, whose music RTI’s management claimed were “subversive” to the state.

However, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that the musicians were being victimized because their music appeared to be critical of the administration of President Gbagbo.

In his album “Mea Culpa”, Fadal Dey, a reggae star, asked the late Félix Houphouet-Boigny, the country’s first President to forgive him for calling him a “thief” when President Gbagbo was in opposition. At that time Gbagbo had instigated the youth to call the first president a “thief”. Fadal Dey said under the circumstances things were not different, therefore, Houphouet-Boigny should pardon him.

In an album entitled: “We are tired”, Lago Paulin, condemned what he described as “excessive increase in the prices of goods” and made reference to the fact that “human rights and social security do not exist” in the country.

The correspondent said the music of pro-government artistes, particularly those who call themselves “patriots”, enjoyed massive broadcast.

Patrice Yao, managing editor of Le Nouveau Réveil, a pro-opposition daily newspaper based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, and other officials of the media group, received threatening SMS messages and telephone calls warning them to be careful.

The threats came at a time when the Rallye des Houphouétistes pour la Démocratie et pour la Paix (RHDP), a coalition of the four main opposition parties, namely, Parti Democratique de Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), Rassemblement Des Républicains (RDR), Union pour la Démocratie et la Paix en Côte d’Ivoire (UDPCI) and Mouvement des Forces d’Avenir (MFA), was preparing for a peaceful march dubbed Liberation of Côte d’Ivoire scheduled for May 15.

Some of the messages which described the officials of Le Réveil media group as “pro-rebels who want to burn the country down” stated that the homes of the officials were known to them (callers and those sending the terse and email messages).

Le Reveil media group said it would hold the authorities responsible if their rights were infringed upon.

Diarra Youssouf, also known as Gnaore David, a reporter of the Gagnoa-based pro-opposition L’Expression daily newspaper in Cote d’Ivoire, was summoned to the Police station for questioning by the Regional Police Commander for allegedly relaying information to France 24 television station and other Ivorian media.

The summons originated from demonstrations organised by Rallye des Houphouétistes pour la Démocratie et pour la Paix (RHDP), a coalition of the four main opposition parties in the country, against President Laurent Gbagbo’s call for the dissolution of the government and the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI).

On February 19, the set date for the demonstration, the RHDP activists descended onto the streets to protest what they referred to as a “coup d’état” during which the security forces fired live bullets on them killing five and wounding others. Youssouf took footages of the clampdown and relayed it to the some of the media in Cote d’Ivoire including France 24 television station.

The journalist, who did not deny using the information when confronted by the police commander, was carrying on with his normal duties until May 5 when he was summoned to the police station, allegedly, in a matter concerning him.”