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Senegal Alert: One dead, several others injured in police-student clashes

Vivian Affoah
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Senegal Alert: One dead, several others injured in police-student clashes

Bassirou Faye, a Senegalese student of the Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), was on August 14, 2014, shot dead by an unidentified policeman.

The incident happened as a result of a demonstration by some students of the University to demand payment of scholarship arrears for the 2013-2014
academic year. The police reportedly dispersed the demonstrators by firing tear gas. Some of the students fled to their halls of residence and started throwing stones through their windows.

Angered by the action of the students, the police reportedly stormed the building, broke down doors and ransacked the rooms. Faye who according to reports was not part of the students who demonstrated was in his room by then and tried to escape with his roommate.

While they were leaving however, a policeman shot Faye in the head. He died before his roommate could get help. The police arrested about 27 of the students after the incident and detained them until their release on August 18.

The country’s President Macky Sall is said to have gone to the Principal Hospital in Dakar where the injured students are on admission on August 18.

Meanwhile the Senegalese authorities, including the Ministries of the Interior and Higher Education, say the Criminal Investigations Department has been tasked to conduct an investigation into the case to bring the perpetrators to book.

The MFWA urges the Senegalese Police to respect the students’ rights to demonstrate. We also urge students to act within the law whenever they chose to exercise their right to demonstrate.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Lyon Declaration: Global call to include access to information in UN development agenda

Vivian Affoah
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The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has been lobbying the United Nations to include access to information in the official Agenda for the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Just this week at the 80th Annual World Library and Information Congress in Lyon, France, IFLA released the following official statement outlining why access to information is essential to the healthy, sustainable development of any society.

IFEX members and partners urge the United Nations High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability to include Access to Information in the Agenda for the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals

The Lyon Declaration on Access to Information and Development of August 2014 was written in English. The wording of the English version shall prevail.

The United Nations is negotiating a new development agenda to succeed the Millennium Development Goals. The agenda will guide all countries on approaches to improving people’s lives, and outline a new set of goals to be reached during the period 2016-2030.

We, the undersigned, believe that increasing access to information and knowledge across society, assisted by the availability of information and communications technologies (ICTs), supports sustainable development and improves people’s lives.

We therefore call upon the Member States of the United Nations to make an international commitment to use the post-2015 development agenda to ensure that everyone has access to, and is able to understand, use and share the information that is necessary to promote sustainable development and democratic societies.

Principles
Sustainable development seeks to ensure the long-term socio-economic prosperity and well-being of people everywhere. The ability of governments, parliamentarians, local authorities, local communities, civil society, the private sector and individuals to make informed decisions is essential to achieving it.
In this context, a right to information would be transformational. Access to information supports development by empowering people, especially marginalised people and those living in poverty, to:
• Exercise their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
• Be economically active, productive and innovative.
• Learn and apply new skills.
• Enrich cultural identity and expression.
• Take part in decision-making and participate in an active and engaged civil society.
• Create community-based solutions to development challenges.
• Ensure accountability, transparency, good governance, participation and empowerment.
• Measure progress on public and private commitments on sustainable development.

Declaration
In accordance with the findings of the High Level Panel on the Post–2015 Development Agenda, the post-2015 consultations of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Open Working Group Focus Area Report, all of which identified the crucial role of access to information in supporting development, we, the undersigned, recognise that:

1. Poverty is multidimensional, and progress in eradicating poverty is linked to ensuring sustainable development across a variety of areas.

2. Sustainable development must take place in a human-rights based framework, where:
a) Inequality is reduced by the empowerment, education and inclusion of marginalized groups, including women, indigenous peoples, minorities, migrants, refugees, persons with disabilities, older persons, children and youth.
b) Gender equality, along with full social, economic and political engagement, can be significantly enhanced by empowering women and girls through equitable access to education.
c) Dignity and autonomy can be strengthened by ensuring access to employment and decent jobs for all.
d) Equitable access to information, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, and privacy are promoted, protected and respected as being central to an individual’s independence.
e) Public participation of all is ensured to allow them to take ownership of change needed to improve their lives.

3. Increased access to information and knowledge, underpinned by universal literacy, is an essential pillar of sustainable development. Greater availability of quality information and data and the involvement of communities in its creation will provide a fuller, more transparent allocation of resources.

4. Information intermediaries such as libraries, archives, civil society organisations (CSOs), community leaders and the media have the skills and resources to help governments, institutions and individuals communicate, organize, structure and understand data that is critical to development. They can do this by:

a) Providing information on basic rights and entitlements, public services, environment, health, education, work opportunities, and public expenditure that supports local communities and people to guide their own development.
b) Identifying and focusing attention on relevant and pressing needs and problems within a population.
c) Connecting stakeholders across regional, cultural and other barriers to facilitate communication and the exchange of development solutions that could be scaled for greater impact.
d) Preserving and ensuring ongoing access to cultural heritage, government records and information by the public, through the stewardship of national libraries and archives and other public heritage institutions.
e) Providing public forums and space for wider civil society participation and engagement in decision-making.
f) Offering training and skills to help people access and understand the information and services most helpful to them.

5. Improved ICT infrastructure can be used to expand communications, speed up the delivery of services and provide access to crucial information particularly in remote communities. Libraries and other information intermediaries can use ICTs to bridge the gap between national policy and local implementation to ensure that the benefits of development reach all communities.

6. We, the undersigned, therefore call on Member States of the United Nations to acknowledge that access to information, and the skills to use it effectively, are required for sustainable development, and ensure that this is recognised in the post-2015 development agenda by:
a) Acknowledging the public’s right to access information and data, while respecting the right to individual privacy.
b) Recognising the important role of local authorities, information intermediaries and infrastructure such as ICTs and an open Internet as a means of implementation.
c) Adopting policy, standards and legislation to ensure the continued funding, integrity, preservation and provision of information by governments, and access by people.
d) Developing targets and indicators that enable measurement of the impact of access to information and data and reporting on progress during each year of the goals in a Development and Access to Information (DA2I) report.

Signed,

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
ActiveWatch – Media Monitoring Agency
Adil Soz – International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech
Afghanistan Journalists Center
Africa Freedom of Information Centre
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
ARTICLE 19
Association of Caribbean Media Workers
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bytes for All
Cambodian Center for Human Rights
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
Committee to Protect Journalists
Derechos Digitales
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Foro de Periodismo Argentino
Freedom Forum
Freedom House
Hungarian Civil Liberties Union
Index on Censorship
Initiative for Freedom of Expression – Turkey
Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information
Institute of Mass Information
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Media Foundation for West Africa
Media Watch
Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de Expresión – OLA
Pacific Islands News Association
Pakistan Press Foundation
PEN International
Privacy International
Public Association “Journalists”
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters – AMARC
Access√
Agenda21 for culture
Andaluza de Bibliotecarios
Association for Progressive Communications
Association of Libraries of Czech Universities (ALCU)
Association of European Research Libraries (LIBER)
Association of Librarians of France (ABF)
Beyond Access
Bibliothecarii Medicinae Fenniae (BMF)
Bibliotheques sans frontieres
Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology – IBICT
Brill
Brunei Darussalam Library Association
CENL
CIVICUS
Collegium Artium
Communia International Association on the Public Domain
Conference of Southeast Asia Librarians (CONSAL)
Development Initiatives
Ecole nationale supérieure des sciences de l’information et des bibliothèques (ENSSIB)
Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL)
European Association of Science Editors (EASE)
European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA)
Federación Española de Asociaciones de Archiveros Bibliotecarios, Arqueólogos, Museólogos y Documentalistas (ANABAD-Aragón)
FrontlineSMS
Global Integrity
Global Partners Digital
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
INDEX MURCIA
Indonesian Library Association
International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP)
International Federation of Journalists – Asia-Pacific
International Records Management Trust
Internet and Democracy Project
Internews
IP Justice
IREX – Civil Society, Education and Media Development
Kenya Human Rights Commission
Narva Central Library (Estonia)
Open Knowledge Foundation
Partnerships in Health Information (PHI)
Public Knowledge
Restless Development
SPARC
SPARC Europe
Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Associations (SCECSAL)
Te Rōpū Whakahau (National Association for Māori in Libraries and Information, New Zealand)
University of South Africa Library
Victoria University of Wellington Library
Vietnamese Library Association
Webster University
WorldPulse

Credit: IFEX

Ghanaweb, Oman FM, Adom FM Top Ethical Violations

Vivian Affoah
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News website, ghanaweb.com, was the worse perpetrator of ethical violations among 39 other Ghanaian media organisations in the months of June and July, 2014. Next to the news website in violation of ethics were the Accra-based Oman FM and Adom FM in that order.

This is contained in the latest report of the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) media ethics monitoring project. The report noted that the ethical principle of decency which requires the media to be decent in their reportage is the most abused ethical principle.

The report also highlighted a significant improvement on the part of the Daily Guide newspaper, which recorded seven violations in May to top the newspaper category in that month but recorded just one violation for the two months – June and July.

The report also highlights the impact of ethical violations on the credibility, freedom and survival of the media and makes recommendations as to how editors, journalists, media professional groups and the national regulator, National Media Commission, can help improve the situation.

The media ethics monitoring forms part of activities under the MFWA’s project: “Promoting Professional Standards and Enhancing the Watchdog Role of the Ghanaian Media” which is being funded by STAR-Ghana. The project is aimed at contributing to improving professional standards of the media and supporting them to play a more effective role in fostering transparent and accountable governance in Ghana through critical and investigative stories.

Please click here for the full report.

Senegal Alert: Newspaper editor handed suspended sentence for publishing false news on Ebola

Vivian Affoah
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Félix N’zalé, a journalist and managing editor of privately-owned La Tribune newspaper, was on August 14, 2014, handed a one-year suspended sentence and a fine of FCFA one million (equivalent to US$ 2,200) for publishing false news.

He was also ordered to publish the court’s decision in four newspapers in the country.

The La Tribune newspaper on August 11, carried a front-page story titled “5 cases of Ebola in Senegal”. The report is said to have caused panic among the Senegalese people and annoyed the authorities, including the Minister of Health, Eva Marie Coll Seck.

According to MFWA’s correspondent, the state prosecutor, took up the matter and had the journalist summoned. He was kept in police custody and then later placed under a committal order on August 12.

In a press communiqué, the Ministry of Justice, said the information published by the newspaper could have extremely serious repercussions for Senegal. “This information can place our country in quarantine by the international community and seriously affect Senegalese desirous of travelling, particularly at a time when people are busy preparing for the pilgrimage to Mecca.”

N’zalé is said to have apologised to the court at the trial. ‘I’m sorry, I regret the act. I acknowledge that the information is false,” he said.

The journalist is also said to have admitted to the court that he did not crosscheck his information before publishing because he trusted his source.

The MFWA is calling on journalists to be professional in their work. We urge them to be a source of public education on the disease instead of causing panic with false information.

Sierra Leone Alert: Journalist jailed for 7 days, Minister orders her release

Vivian Affoah
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The Sierra Leonean Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Frankly Bai Kargbo on August 12, 2014, ordered the release of a female journalist who was serving a seven day sentence for contempt.

Aminata Phidelia Allie, a journalist of privately-owned biweekly Politico newspaper was on August 11, given a seven day sentence by a Court Martial for contempt of court.

The charge of contempt stems from a feature article authored by Allie titled “Court Martial Losing Momentum’ and published on August 6. The journalist in the article inferred inter alia that the trial of some 14 soldiers accused of mutiny was being delayed by the court and blamed the Judge Advocate, Otto During for failure to expedite the trial. The publication also alleged that the court lacks sufficient evidence against the accused persons.

The MFWA’s correspondent in the country reported that the state prosecutor, Gerald Soyie made an application at the Court Martial on August 8, for the editorial team of the newspaper to appear before the Court on August 11, to answer to a contempt charge.

The Judge Advocate, Otto During, discharged the editor-in-chief, Umaru Fofana, the associate editor Isaac Massaquoi, and sub-editor Joseph Lamin Kamara, with instructions that a retraction and an apology be made in three subsequent editions of the newspaper and copies served to the court.

Allie was however handed a seven day sentence. She was released on August 12, following the order of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Frankly Bai Kargbo.

Meanwhile the newspaper on August 12, published an apology to the Court Martial. The newspaper among other things said “we tender our unreserved apology to the entire Court Martial for whatever inconvenience the said publication might have caused them. We admit that mistakes were made in the offending article-which we hereby retract- which may have impugned the prestige and standing of the Judge Advocate, the President and panel, the prosecution and the defence in the ongoing matter involving some soldiers. If we had a second chance to consider the said article for publication, we would not put it out. Once again we are profoundly sorry for the embarrassment.”

The MFWA commends the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Frankly Bai Kargbo for his intervention that saw the release of the journalist. We however appeal to journalists to be professional in their work.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Journalist covering protest about Ebola virus arrested, detained in Liberia

Vivian Affoah
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FrontPage Africa journalist Henry Karmo has been beaten by police officers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that houses the president’s office. The journalist was flogged while photographing protesters who were protesting the imposition of a state of emergency declared by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as a response to tackling the deadly Ebola virus.

Karmo alleges that officers of the Liberian National Police arrested, flogged and took him to prison despite the fact that he displayed his identification card as an FPA reporter.

Explaining his ordeal, Karmo alleges that he was asked to identify himself, which he did. Nevertheless, he was arrested by the police commander, whose name was not given. His camera was reportedly impounded.

The president’s letter sent to the legislature last week – informing lawmakers about the state of emergency – said that some rights of Liberians would be violated. The recent action taken by state security forces have left media analysts wondering what kind of benefit the government anticipates from targeting the media as a critical partner in tackling the Ebola scourge.

Responding to the alleged flogging of Karmo, Police Commissioner Geogery Coleman – commonly referred to as “104” – said that Karmo was in “the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He also warned Karmo and other reporters in the country to avoid the police in these 90 days of the state of emergency because – according to him – while the country is under a state of emergency, some rights of Liberians will be violated. This is a tacit allusion to freedom of expression under siege.

The Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) has deplored the development as not a helpful way to proceed during this trying time

Source: CEMESP

Promote free expression: Explore and share Turkey’s virtual Museum of Crimes of Thought

Vivian Affoah
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What if there was a museum to honour journalists, activists and human rights defenders who have been censored, arrested and worse for speaking the truth – and it was available all hours of the day? IFEX member Initiative for Freedom of Expression in Turkey has created just that. Read more about the unique resource currently in development below, and take a tour!

A trip to a museum should be educational, and a virtual tour through the Museum of Crimes of Thought – the ambitious and inventive free expression campaign project of IFEX member the Initiative for Freedom of Expression in Turkey (Antenna-TR) – is no exception.

With the click of the mouse, you can step inside Antenna-TR’s newly digitised campaign project documenting free expression abuses in Turkey and navigate the halls like a tourist in an actual museum. Once inside the digital space, you can check out the office of the prosecutor, step inside a realistic depiction of a Turkish courtroom, and learn more about how Turkish law has been maneuvered to stifle press freedom.

While informative and visually attractive, Antenna-TR’s museum also offers a look at the grave and often violent reality for those wishing to defend the right to free expression in Turkey.

At the gates of the museum, view news footage of clashes and violations, and towards the end of the tour, visit a digital cemetery honouring fatal victims of censorship and state aggression.

The museum does not simply commemorate journalists and free expression advocates who have been killed; Antenna-TR’s project showcases living individuals whose free expression rights are currently under threat. In 2013, Turkey topped the Committee to Protect Journalists’ list of the world’s worst jailers of journalists.

Outside of the prosecutor’s office and within the courtroom, you can access an updated list of Turkish citizens currently being prosecuted and their charges, including Ahmet Şık, winner of UNESCO’s 2014 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, whose dogged journalism has placed him in the face of state intimidation and litigation.

Help Antenna-TR raise awareness of free expression violations in Turkey: explore the museum, and share this resource on Facebook or directly via Twitter on side panel to the right of the page!.

Are you inspired to develop a similar online museum to represent free expression violations in your country or region? Antenna-TR is eager to share their digital infrastructure and build a network of similar campaigns! Contact [email protected] for details.

Cote d’Ivoire Alert: Constant sanctions by Press Regulatory body compels newspaper to suspend publication

Vivian Affoah
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Management of privately-owned L’Intelligent d’Abidjan newspaper on August 10, 2014, announced a suspension of publications “until further notice”.
The newspaper in a communiqué, said the decision is in protest against the recent “arbitrary” sanctions imposed on it and its manager by the press regulatory body, the Conseil National de la Presse (CNP). The newspaper also accused the CNP of not discharging its mandate thoroughly.

“The Management of L’Intelligent d’Abidjan wishes to inform its readers and partners, practitioners of the sector as well as the general public, both local and international, that the newspaper will not appear until further notice in protest against the sanctions imposed on it by the regulatory body which are in total disregard of the prevailing laws,” said the communiqué issued and signed by Alafé Wakili, manager and legal representative of Socef-Ntic, publishers of the newspaper.

The CNP on July 25, suspended L’Intelligent d’Abidjan for 12 publications because of the refusal of Wakili, to comply with the summons of the Council in connection with investigations into a case involving him and the former managing editor of the newspaper, Youssouf Touré.

According to the management of the newspaper, the decision to suspend publications is the beginning of a series of actions and initiatives aimed at seeking redress for the many “unfair” suspensions. About twelve media organisations and journalists have been fined various sums of money or suspended  this year alone.

On January 20, the CNP fined the Notre Voie, Le Jour Plus and Le Nouveau Courrier newspapers FCFA 3,000,000 ($6,000), FCFA 1,000,000 ($2,000) and FCFA 500,000 ($1,000) respectively for publishing false information.

Moussa Traoré, President of the Press Union and Alafé Wakili, were each suspended from writing articles for a period of six months. Their professional identity cards were also withdrawn. The Council also imposed a 52-issue suspension on the Le Quotidien d’Abidjan newspaper. N’Guessan Kouassi and Oula Saint Claver of the Le Jour Plus and Le Nouveau Courrier newspapers respectively were also handed a month’s suspension and their professional identity cards withdrawn.

On February 10, the CNP again suspended the Le Monde d’ Abidjan newspaper for three months. But even before some of the newspapers and journalists could serve their suspensions or barely after serving it, the CNP on April 14, issued a statement suspending Aujourd’hui, Soir Info, Le Quotidien d’Abidjan, (which was banned in January 20, for two months), Le Temps newspapers and the weekly Bôlkotch.

After condemnation from the MFWA and some sections of the Ivorian media, the CNP on April 18, lifted the suspension imposed on three of the newspapers Le Temps, Aujourd’hui and Le Quotidien d’Abidjan leaving the Bôlkotch to serve the full suspension.

The MFWA notes with concern the constant fines imposed on media organisations and journalists in the country. In asmuch as the organisation appreciates the work of the CNP in raising professional standards in the media, the fines have a potential of cowing the media as it is evident by the decision of the L’Intelligent d’Abidjan. We therefore appeal to the Press Council to reconsider its approach in dealing with the unprofessionalism of the media and journalists in the country. We also urge journalists and media organisations to be professional.

Eight Ghanaian Journalists Receive Grants for Investigative Reporting

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has awarded 10,000 Ghana Cedis in funding support to eight Ghanaian journalists to develop critical/investigative stories on health, corruption, education and the extractive sectors of the economy.

The Recipients who were selected through a competitive process will investigate topics ranging from the exploitation of Ghana’s environmental resources, vulnerable populations such as women and girls, Operations of CHIPS Compounds among others.

In addition to the funding support, Recipients will receive editorial guidance from media experts who make up the MFWA’s Editorial Steering Committee throughout the development of the story until publication/broadcast.

The funding support forms part of the organisation’s project “Promoting Professional Standards and Enhancing the Watchdog role of the Ghanaian Media” funded by STAR-Ghana. The Initiative is to encourage journalists to produce critical/investigative stories that prompt policy debates and/or action on education, health, extractives and Corruption as part of their watchdog role.

A second Call for funding support can be accessed here. Interested applicants are invited to send in Applications before August 15, 2014.

For more information, kindly contact:

Abigail Larbi

Programme Officer

Media, Democracy and Development

Tel: 0302-242470

Email: [email protected]

FUNDING SUPPORT FOR GHANAIAN JOURNALISTS – THIRD CALL

Vivian Affoah
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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is offering another funding opportunity to Ghanaian journalists who wish to produce critical/investigative stories.

The funding support is available for critical/investigative stories that focus on Health, Education, Corruption and the Extractives sectors of the economy. It is open to all Ghanaian journalists (both print and electronic) currently working with recognised Ghanaian media organisations.

The initiative is to encourage journalists to produce critical/investigative stories that prompt policy debates and/or action on education, health, extractives and Corruption – which they could otherwise not do as a result of financial constraints.

This support, the third in the year, is under the MFWA’s “Promoting Professional Standards and Enhancing the Watchdog Role of the Ghanaian Media” project which is funded by STAR-Ghana.

So far, eight (8) Ghanaian journalists have been supported under the project to the tune of GHC10,000.

The application form for the third call for funding support can be accessed here. The deadline for applications is 30th August, 2014 at 5:00pm.

The provision of financial and technical support to journalists by the MFWA is part of the organisation’s commitment and contribution to media development for democracy in Ghana and the West Africa region.

For more information, kindly contact:
Abigail Larbi
Programme Officer
Media, Democracy and Development
Tel: 0302-242470
Email: [email protected]

Guinea-Bissau: Journalist heavily fined, Ministry to use fine to train journalists

Vivian Affoah
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A journalist and director of privately-owned weekly Donos da Bola was on August 5, 2014, fined FCFA 6.5 million (about US$13,300) by the country’s regional tribunal, Tribunal Régional de Bissau (TRB).

Pedro Luca Mendes de Carvalho is also to pay the fine and an additional FCFA 750,000 (about US$1,600) as costs within two months or in default serve a four-year jail term.

According to the MFWA’s correspondent in the country, the sentence is as a result of a publication by the newspaper in December 2013, headlined: “Abdu Mane and Paulo Sanha (the Attorney-General and Chief Justice respectively) want to push JOMAV (nickname of the President, José Mário Vaz) out of politics”.

The said publication indicated that the country’s current president, José Mário Vaz, who was the Minister of Finance in the government of Carlos Gomes Junior, was being questioned by the Attorney-General and Chief Justice over an alleged diversion of 12 million dollars provided by the Republic of Angola as budgetary support to Guinea-Bissau.

According to the correspondent, out of the damages awarded by the court, FCFA 5 million is to be paid to the Ministry of Social Communication for training of journalists in media law. The remaining FCFA 1.5 million is to be paid as compensation to the Attorney-General and the Chief Justice.

The MFWA is saddened by this development as it has the tendency to cripple the media who are crucial in the country’s efforts towards democratic rule and development. While we commend the move by the Ministry of Social Communication to train journalists, it should not be done at the expense of the media themselves.

We urge the media in the country to be more professional in their work by reporting accurate and factual issues.

ECOWAS Chairman Responds to MFWA’s Demand for Strong Justice Mechanism in West Africa

Vivian Affoah
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ECOWAS Chairman Responds to MFWA’s Demand for Strong Justice Mechanism in West Africa

The Chairman of the ECOWAS and President of Ghana, John Mahama, has in a response to a call by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) for a
resilient regional justice mechanism in West Africa, indicated his commitment to carry out reforms that will lead to peace and stability in West Africa.

Ahead of a meeting of ECOWAS leaders in Accra on May 30, 2014, to discuss the challenging peace and security situation in the region, the MFWA wrote to the ECOWAS Chairman drawing his attention to the need to have a robust justice mechanism at the regional level as part of efforts to deal with the security problems in the region.

“We cannot be talking about peace and security without a commitment to ensure justice. We are, therefore, calling on the ECOWAS Chairman, to include the issue of Justice and the empowerment of the ECOWAS Court in all his agenda for peace and in his deliberations with colleague Heads of State,” the MFW stated in its letter to President Mahama.

The MFWA also expressed grave concern about the dwindling authority and capacity of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice due to overwhelming disregard of the Court’s judgements by offending member states.

In a letter signed by his Executive Secretary, Dr. Raymond Atuguba, President Mahama thanked the MFWA for its letter and indicated that the organisation’s “detailed suggestions are well noted”.

The MFWA welcomes the statement of commitment by the ECOWAS Chairman to embark on reforms that will promote Justice, fight against impunity and ultimately contribute to regional peace and stability. We particularly urge him to enforce the statutes of the ECOWAS to ensure that judgements of the Community Court are complied with by affected member states.

The MFWA will also continue to monitor the implementation of the commitments by the ECOWAS Chairman and continue to advocate for the enforcement of
judgments of the community Court as part of its Access to Justice and anti-impunity campaigns.

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