16 December 1998

Alert

IFJ protests killing of journalist Zongo


Incident details

Norbert Zongo

journalist(s)

killed
(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 16 December 1998 IFJ press release and
letter to the President of Burkina Faso further to the suspicious death of
journalist Norbert Zongo:

Media Release
16 December 1998

Burkina: Leading Journalist Silenced

The International Federation of Journalists today expressed its shock at the
death of Norbert Zongo. Mr Zongo's body was found dead in his vehicle,
together with those of his brother, his chauffeur and one other person. The
inside of the car was burnt and the body of the car was pierced by several
holes which could have been caused by bullets.

Mr Zongo was editor in chief of the private weekly L'indépendant, and had
recently published articles critical of the authorities and accusing the
head of state's brother of being in part responsible for the death of his
chauffeur.

Mr Zongo was also actively involved in the Burkina Press Centre in
Ouagadougou, which is an IFJ supported project, funded by the European
Commission.

"The death of Norbert Zongo is a serious blow to press freedom and to all
journalists in Burkina Faso", said Bettina Peters, IFJ Director of Projects.
"His death reminds us that journalists can never be too vigilant where their
independence is concerned.

"Norbert Zongo not only fought for the independence of his newspaper, he was
committed to supporting the profession as a whole. He worked with the IFJ
for the promotion of editorial independence and professional standards in
journalism. As the president of the Association of Independent Newspapers
(SEP) he was closely involved in the establishment of the IFJ press centre,
the Centre National de Presse in Ouagadougou. It will be very hard to fill
his place."

In a letter to Minister of Justice Mr Yarga, the IFJ called for a full and
independent investigation into the death of Mr Zongo. Together with its
affiliate in Burkina Faso, the Association des Journalistes du Burkina, and
the Ougadougou Press Centre the IFJ will be following up the request for an
investigation and ensuring that Mr Zongo's death is not shrouded in the
silence of impunity.

For further information call +32 2 223 22 65.

The International Federation of Journalists is the world's largest
organisation of journalists, representing more than 420,000 worldwide. The
IFJ was founded in 1926 and relaunched in its current form in 1952. The
headquarters of the IFJ are in Brussels, but the federation has offices in
Asia, Africa and Latin America. The IFJ is recognised by the United
Nations, in Europe it has status with the Council of Europe, the European
Union and the OSCE.

Larba Yarga
Minister of Justice
Ouagadougou

Brussels, 16 December 1998

Dear Mr Yarga

The International Federation of Journalists, the world's largest
journalists' organisation representing over 420,000 journalists worldwide,
is shocked by the recent death of Norbert Zongo.

According to our information, Mr Zongo, and three other people, were killed
when his car went on fire on 13 December. The car was pierced by several
holes which could have been caused by bullets.

Mr Zongo, editor in chief of L'Indépendant, was a highly respected member of
the profession both in Burkina Faso and in the rest of the world. The IFJ
had worked closely with him and regarded him as a stalwart of the
independent press in Burkina.

Given the highly suspicious circumstances of these deaths, we urge you to
ensure that a full and independent investigation is carried out into this
event and that the results of that investigation are made public.

We consider Mr Zongo's death to be a great blow to freedom of expression in
Burkina, but impunity for anyone responsible would be a greater blow still.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

AIDAN WHITE
General Secretary

Similar letters can be sent to:

Larba Yarga
Minister of Justice
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Son Excellence Blaise Compaore
Presidence
01 BP 24 Ouagadougou 01
Burkina Faso
Tel: +226 30 66 30 / 31
Fax: +226 31 05 78

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
03 BP 7038 Ouagadougou 03
Burkina Faso
Tel: +226 32 47 34 / 36
Fax: +226 30 87 92

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.



Source:

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More on this case

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