Burkina Faso: Radio station banned for criticizing government inaction in Zongo case
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the April 16 closure of Horizon FM, a privately-owned radio station based in Ouagadougou. The station appears to have been closed because it criticized your government for failing to adequately investigate the December 1998 murder of Norbert Zongo, editor of the newspaper L’Indépendant.
Côte d’ivoire: Soldiers kidnap, torture journalist
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is outraged by the April 9 kidnapping and torture of Jules Toualy, a reporter with the private daily Le Jeune Democrate, by two soldiers close to the ruling National Public Salvation Committee (CNSP).
Hunting the Dictator
On February 3, Senegalese authorities indicted former Chadian leader Hissene Habré for torture and other crimes perpetrated by his government in Chad between 1982 and 1990. That same day, the “African Pinochet” was placed under house arrest in the upscale Dakar neighborhood where he has lived for the past decade. It was the first time…
Journalist sentenced to six months for defamation
Click here to read more about press freedom conditions in CAMEROON. New York, April 5, 2000 — On April 3, a criminal court in the western Cameroonian town of Bafoussam convicted Michel Eclador Pekoua on one count of defamation and sentenced him to six months in prison without parole, sources in Cameroon told CPJ. Pekoua…
JOURNALIST MUSSAMO RELEASED ON BAIL AFTER THREE MONTHS IN ILLEGAL DETENTION
Click here to read more about press freedom conditions in Angola. New York, March 29, 2000— Angolan journalist Andre Domigos Mussamo, formerly chief editor of the Cuanza Norte provincial branch of the Angolan National Radio and a correspondent for the biweekly Folha 8, posted bail and was released from prison around March 16, sources in…
Côte d’Ivoire: Despite promises to respect press freedom, military regime cracks down on local media
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by several serious, recent press freedom violations in Côte d’Ivoire. Upon seizing power in December 1999, Your Excellency promised that freedom of expression would be respected. Since then, however, soldiers close to the ruling National Public Salvation Committee (CNSP) have conducted raids on several Abidjan-based publications.