(MFWA/IFEX) – Francois Ifono, a journalist from the state-owned Guinea Broadcasting Corporation (RTG) was on 21 March 2008 suspended indefinitely by the stations director, Alpha Kabinet Keita, for alleged “gross misconduct”. Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that this followed the participation of two journalists from private newspapers in Ifono’s TV-show, Parasol, on […]
(MFWA/IFEX) – Francois Ifono, a journalist from the state-owned Guinea Broadcasting Corporation (RTG) was on 21 March 2008 suspended indefinitely by the stations director, Alpha Kabinet Keita, for alleged “gross misconduct”.
Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that this followed the participation of two journalists from private newspapers in Ifono’s TV-show, Parasol, on 20 March.
The journalists, Aboubacar A. Koumba Diallo, managing editor of the “Aurore” newspaper and Nouhou Balde, managing editor of the “Observateur”, had both been critical of the Minister of Mines and Geology, Ahmed Kante. Diallo had in “Aurore” consistently criticized the minister’s alleged poor handling of mining licences in the country.
The correspondent said the show was abruptly stopped in the middle of broadcast, following a phone call from Issa Condé, the Minister of Communication and Information.
Condé, confiscated the tape of the broadcast and handed it over to Kante.
MFWA condemns this extreme censorship of the media and calls on the government to respect freedom of expression and the right of citizens of Guinea to hold and express diverse views on matters of public interest.
