West African Journalists Association (WAJA)

(WAJA/IFEX) – Chris FM, a privately owned radio station at Berekum, in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana, was closed on 6 November 2000 on the orders of the Regional Security Council. The closure follows allegations that an aspiring parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nkrabeah Effah Darteh, had used the station to […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – On Monday 6 November 2000, the publisher and editor of the private newspaper “Ghanaian Chronicle”, Nana Kofi Coomson, was arrested by officers of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), for having in his possession diskettes taken from the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Accra. Kofi Coomson was picked up […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – During the early hours of Monday 2 October 2000, unidentified persons smeared human waste on the entrance of the offices of an independent Accra bi-weekly, “The Crusading Guide”. According to the newspaper’s editor, Kweku Baako, Jr., he arrived at his office at around 6:00 a.m. (local time) to find a pungent smell and […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – A Ghanaian journalist, Sedi Bansah, was arrested on the orders of the country’s deputy minister of defence, Tony Aidoo, on Tuesday 19 September 2000. Bansah, who works for the private biweekly “The Crusading Guide”, was investigating a story about an alleged assault by the minister on a civilian and had contacted the minister […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2000 WAJA press release: (WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2000 WAJA press release: Statement on WAJA’s 14th Anniversary On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the founding of WAJA, we wish to renew our pledge to defend and promote press freedom in our […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a WAJA statement on World Press Freedom Day: STATEMENT BY THE WEST AFRICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION ON WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on May 3, 2000, The West African Journalists Association wishes to salute all journalists for their courage and strength in […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 22 April 2000 UJIT press release: Togolese private media under seige: An editor-in-chief is arrested and imprisoned, two others pursued, publications seized 1. On Thursday 13 April 2000, all copies of issue 27 of the weekly “l’Exilé” were seized by agents of the general information office of the national […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – On Thursday 3 February 2000, after several hours of interrogation, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police cautioned Kabral Blay-Amihere, editor of “The Independent”, that he was being investigated for sedition in connection with an item on the military in his paper’s edition of 11 January. Under Ghana’s Criminal Code of 1960, […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – Kabral Blay-Amihere, editor of “The Independent” newspaper, has been asked by the police to report to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police on 3 February 2000, in connection with an 11 January publication in “The Independent” about the military. Kabral, president of WAJA and executive member of the International Federation of […]

The following is a 20 January 2000 WAJA press release condemning the invasion of the International Press Centre by armed policemen and a 19 January 2000 press release by the International Press Centre: WAJA CONDEMNS ARMED INVASION ON THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTRE, LAGOS BY ARMED POLICEMEN The West African Journalists Association has learnt with shock […]

A Ghanaian journalist, Eben Quarcoo, has been saved from serving a two year prison sentence following the payment of his fine in a libel case by the International Federation of Journalists. Quarcoo, former editor of the bi-weekly “Free Press”, was sentenced in October 1999 to a 90-day imprisonment for intentional libel for an article that […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – On 13 January 2000 at 10:00 p.m. (local time), Kabral Blay Amihere, president of WAJA and executive member of the International Federation of Journalists, was picked up in the middle of a journey by armed military personnel. The military claimed that the arrest was due to a publication that appeared in “The Independent” […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – Roland Comlan, director of the weekly newspaper “l’Aurore”, was arrested at his residence on 23 December 1999 at 5:00 a.m. (local time) and detained at the national police station in Lomé. The journalist is accused of publishing a report in the 15 December edition of his newspaper concerning the alleged death of a […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a WAJA statement on the suspension of “The Independent” newspaper: **Updates IFEX alert of 26 July 1999** WAJA STATEMENT ON SUSPENSION OF THE INDEPENDENT OF GAMBIA The West African Journalists Association has protested in very strong terms to Gambian Justice Minister Fatou Bensouda for the suspension of The Independent, a […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 27 May 1999 WAJA statement on the return to constitutional rule in Nigeria: The West African Journalists Association (WAJA), on the eve of the return to constitutional rule in Nigeria, joins the people of Nigeria in welcoming this long-awaited transition which represents a major watershed in the history of […]

(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a WAJA press release: **Updates IFEX alerts of 5 May, 3 May, 30 April, 28 April, 20 April, 13 April and 17 February 1999** WAJA STATEMENT ON ARREST OF LANRE AROGUNDADE – CHAIRMAN, LAGOS STATE COUNCIL OF NATIONAL UNION OF NIGERIAN JOURNALISTS. The West African Journalists Association is shocked and […]