(MFWA/IFEX) – The following is a 17 January 2007 MFWA press release: Press freedom violations increased in 2006 The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is alarmed by the increasing number of violations against journalists and media rights in West Africa. In 2006 alone, the MFWA recorded 168 cases of violations in fifteen of the […]
(MFWA/IFEX) – The following is a 17 January 2007 MFWA press release:
Press freedom violations increased in 2006
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is alarmed by the increasing number of violations against journalists and media rights in West Africa.
In 2006 alone, the MFWA recorded 168 cases of violations in fifteen of the sixteen countries in the region, compared to 148 attacks registered in 2005.
Nigeria tops the list with 32 cases of abuse of press freedom rights, representing 19 % of the overall number. Gambia, the country with the smallest population and land size, follows with 27 cases of abuses (16 %). Of the remaining 67 %, Liberia had 20, representing 12%. Ghana is fourth on the list with 18 cases (11 %).
Côte d’Ivoire and Niger recorded 15 cases, each representing 8%. Guinea-Conakry followed with 11 cases, making 7 %. Sierra Leone, Senegal and Benin followed with 8 (5%), 7 (4%) and 6 (3%) respectively.
The last set of countries, ranging from 2-0.5 % were Togo, 3 (2%), Mali 2 (1%), Guinea Bissau 2 (1%), Burkina Faso 1 (0.5%) and Mauritania 1 (0.5%).
In Nigeria, an editor was murdered at the end of 2006.
Cape Verde is the only country that registered no cases of violations of press freedom.
The MFWA notes that this compilation may not include violations that may not have been noticed, observed or reported. It is likely that some of the areas with low cases may have been poorly monitored. And even for those countries where there appears to be more reported cases, not all may actually have been captured, especially if they occurred outside the capitals and cities.
Moreover, we observe that low recorded numbers of cases do not necessarily mean less harmful violations. More cases do not necessarily represent the cruelest violations either, except for example, in the case of The Gambia, which exhibited the worst and generally more violent repression.
Similarly, in the case of Liberia, the high number of violations does not necessarily represent an abhorrent situation. These cases do not represent state policy or endorsement of press freedom violations; they are mostly acts by errant security personnel.
Also, in some countries, such as The Gambia, violations are perpetrated by state actors and result from a generalized or specific government policy of repression. In others, such as Ghana, violations are perpetrated by individual members of security or police services and/or non-state actors, in violation of the legal and constitutional order. In other cases, violations are sanctioned by laws that violate the internationally accepted norms of press freedom and freedom of expression.
The report only records violations against press freedom, and does not represent numerous other acts of attacks on free speech, or violations of other realms of freedom of expression in the region such as academic freedom, etc.
The MFWA regrets the worsening situation for media freedom, even though the constitution of every country professes to protect press freedom.
The MFWA calls on human rights organizations, political parties, political leaders and civil society organizations who cherish democracy to join the MFWA and free expression advocacy organizations to intensify activities to protest against such violations.
Issued by the MFWA, Accra on January 17, 2006.
The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and all forms of expression.
