Tanzania imposes 7-day publication ban on The Citizen

Tanzania imposes 7-day publication ban on The Citizen

Authorities in Tanzania should lift a seven-day publication ban on the privately owned newspaper The Citizen and allow journalists to report on matters of public interest freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The Information Services Department, which oversees newspaper licenses, temporarily suspended the publication license of The Citizen on February 27, on accusations that it published reports that were false, misleading, and seditious, according to media reports. The suspension order relates to an article on the state of Tanzanian democracy, published in July, and an article on the country's currency, published last month, according to a report by The Citizen's sister…Read more

Verbal and physical onslaught against private TV station by Zambia’s ruling party

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) firmly condemns the recent attacks by affiliates of Zambia's ruling, Patriotic Front (PF) party against Prime Televisionbased in the capital, Lusaka.  The privately owned TV station has come under attack following its reportage on the Sesheke parliamentary by-elections.  On January 26, 2019, the Secretary General of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party, Davies Mwila, dismissed Prime TV reporters from a press briefing he was addressing. He also declared publicly that Prime Television is barred from covering all activities of his political party. The comments by the Secretary General of PF has…Read more
IPC Nigeria condemns attacks on journalists during elections

IPC Nigeria condemns attacks on journalists during elections

The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos has expressed strong concern over reported incidents of attacks on journalists and other media professionals during the Presidential and Senatorial elections held on Saturday February 23, 2019. Information gathered by IPC's media and election situation room revealed that not less than five journalists and media professionals faced one form of harassment or the other including arrest, denial of access to collation centres and gunshot injury. The details of these incidents include, the arrest of Nwanosike Onu of The Nation, Geoffrey Anyanwu of the Sun, David-Chyddy Eleke of THISDAY, Vincent Ujumadu of Vanguard and Tony…Read more
Ugandan regulator orders news website suspended and threatens criminal charges

Ugandan regulator orders news website suspended and threatens criminal charges

Ugandan authorities should withdraw a directive ordering the suspension of the Daily Monitor news website, retract a threat of criminal proceedings against the publication, and refrain from using regulations to retaliate against journalists covering sensitive political issues, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 6, the Uganda Communications Commission, a broadcasting and telecommunications sector regulator, wrote a letter to the Daily Monitor's parent company, Monitor Publications Limited, ordering the company to immediately suspend publication of its news website, according to a copy of the letter seen by CPJ. The letter said that the Monitor had not…Read more
Uganda: BBC journalists ‘facing trumped up charges’

Uganda: BBC journalists ‘facing trumped up charges’

Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda On 8 February 2019, police in Kampala released three British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalists, their driver and a wife to NBS's senior investigative journalist Solomon Serwanjja after spending two nights in police custody. They were released on police bond on charges of being in "unlawful possession of classified government drugs".  The journalists are; Kassim Mohammed, Rashid Kaweesa, Godfery Badebye of BBC, their driver Shafik who were arrested on Wednesday night and Vivian Nakaliika Serwanjja - Serwanjja's wife.  Meanwhile, Solomon Serwanjja also arrived at the Central Police Station…Read more

Investigative journalist Ahmed Divela shot dead in Ghana

Authorities in Ghana should immediately investigate the killing of journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela and ensure that threats against the press are taken seriously, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Two men riding a motorcycle shot and killed Divela, a member of Tiger Eye Private Investigations, an investigative journalism outlet led by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, as he was driving in the capital, Accra, yesterday, according to media reports and a video posted on Twitter by Anas. The journalist had told CPJ in September 2018 that people had attempted to attack him and that he feared for his life…Read more
Cameroonian journalist Paul Chouta attacked outside his home

Cameroonian journalist Paul Chouta attacked outside his home

Cameroonian authorities should immediately investigate an attack on Paul Chouta, a reporter for the privately owned news website Cameroon Web, and ensure that those who assaulted him are swiftly brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Chouta told CPJ yesterday that three unknown men stabbed him with a knife and beat him as he left his Yaoundé home just after 6 a.m. that day. The journalist was treated for stab wounds to his right hand and elbow and bruises to his face. "They didn't say anything as they started to physically attack…Read more

Cameroonian journalists arrested for covering opposition gathering

Authorities in Cameroon should immediately release journalists Théodore Tchopa and David Eyengue Nzima, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The two journalists, from privately owned daily newspaper Le Jour, were arrested yesterday while covering an opposition gathering in Douala, Denis Nkwebo, their deputy editor in chief and the president of the Cameroonian journalists' trade union, told CPJ. Their arrest was also reported by local outlets and journalists on social media.  The journalists were detained at a house where opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who claims to have won the 2018 presidential election, and opposition activists were also arrested,…Read more

Three journalists shot while covering political party rally in Lagos

This statement was originally published on mfwa.org on 9 January 2019. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the shooting of three journalists in Nigeria at a political party rally in Ikeja, Lagos, and calls for thorough investigations and justice for the victims. The three, Emmanuel Oladesu, group political editor of The Nation newspaper, Temitope Ogunbanke, a correspondent of News Telegraph and Abiodun Yusuf, a cameraman of Ibile Television, were shot while covering a rally organised to market Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the governorship of Lagos State,…Read more

Mozambican journalist held for reporting on terrorist insurgencies

This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 9 January 2019. Mozambique's military should immediately release Amade Abubacar, a community radio journalist for the state-owned Rádio e Televisao Comunitária Nacedje de Macomia in northern Cabo Delgado province, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police arrested Abubacar at a bus station in Macomia on January 5 while he was photographing families who have fled militant attacks in the coastal province, according to an emailed newsletter on January 7 by the independent Zitamar News, for which Abucar is also a correspondent. Authorities are holding…Read more