Attacks on the Press 2004: Africa Analysis
Overviewby Julia Crawford With the rule of law weak in many African countries, journalists regularly battle threats and harassment, not only from governments but also from rogue elements, such as militias. Repressive legislation is used in many countries to silence journalists who write about sensitive topics such as corruption, mismanagement, and human rights abuses. If…
Attacks on the Press 2004: Togo
Togo With 37 years in power, Togolese president Gnassingbé Eyadéma is Africa’s longest-serving head of state. Even after multiparty elections were introduced in 1993, Eyadéma and his ruling Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais have dominated politics and muzzled opposition voices in this West African nation. However, the Eyadéma regime surprised the international community in April by…
CPJ condemns government crackdown on private broadcasters
New York, February 14, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the closures of several private radio stations in the capital, Lomé. On Friday, February 11, Togolese authorities shuttered four stations that have protested the military’s appointment of the son of the late President Gnassingbé Eyadema as leader. Today, two more stations were closed.
TOGO
FEBRUARY 14, 2005 Updated: March 10, 2005 Radio Carré Jeunes Télévision Zion CENSORED Togolese authorities shuttered privately owned Radio Carré Jeunes and religious broadcaster Télévision Zion, citing alleged unpaid administrative fees. Togo’s Telecommunication and Postal Services’ regulatory agency claimed that the stations, which are based in the capital, Lomé, owed the equivalent of thousands of…
TOGO
FEBRUARY 11, 2005 Updated: March 10, 2005 Nana FM Kanal FM Radio Nostalgie TV7 Fréquence 1 CENSORED Security forces accompanied by representatives of Togo’s Telecommunication and Postal Services’ regulatory agency went to the offices of private radio stations Nana FM, Kanal FM, and Radio Nostalgie, as well as to the private television station TV7 and…
TOGO
FEBRUARY 10, 2005 Updated: February 10, 2005 Radio Lumière CENSORED Police shuttered Radio Lumière in Aného, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) east of the capital, Lomé, seizing equipment and driving the station’s director into hiding, according to local sources. They said police accused the station of inciting violence after it aired critical debates.
CPJ protests censorship and threats to private radio stations
New York, February 10, 2005—CPJ is outraged at today’s closure of the private station Radio Lumière, as well as attempts by Togolese authorities to intimidate private broadcasters that have protested the military’s appointment of the late President Gnassingbé Eyadema’s son as leader. Earlier in the week, officials cut FM transmissions of Radio France Internationale (RFI),…
TOGO
FEBRUARY 8, 2005 Posted: February 11, 2005 Radio France Internationale CENSORED FM broadcasts of Radio France Internationale (RFI) were cut at around noon, according to RFI and international news reports. Communications Minister Pittang Tchalla told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that RFI had gone off air because of a “technical fault.” But AFP quoted a source close…
Togo: Promises and the Press
In Togo, journalists are skeptical but see opportunity in the regime’s bid to shed sanctions. By Adam Posluns with reporting by Alexis Arieff With 37 years in power, Togolese President Gnassingbé Eyadéma is Africa’s longest-serving head of state. Even after the country introduced multiparty elections more than a decade ago, Eyadéma and his ruling party,…