The acting prefect of the town of N'zérékoré, Guinea, closed down the Liberté FM radio station without providing any reason for the action.
UPDATE: Guinean government censors private radio station (CPJ, 30 August 2012)
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 26 August 2012, Zakaria Camara, the acting prefect of N’zérékoré, a town about 1000 kilometres to the southeast of the capital Conakry, closed down Liberté FM, a privately-owned radio station based in the town, without providing any reason.
Camara also chased journalists out of the station and labelled them “personae non gratae”.
A Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) correspondent reported that the acting prefect had invited Alpha Saliou Diallo, the director of Liberté FM, to his office to inform him about the authorities’ decision to close down the station.
“I have not been able to fathom the reason for closing down my radio station. I have not done anything to compromise peace in the city, but they notified me and I had to obey,” said Diallo.
According to Diallo, the National Board for Communication media regulatory body told him they have not received any information about the closure of his radio station.
MFWA joins media associations in Guinea in condemning this disruptive and inexplicable act, and demands that Liberté FM be allowed to resume broadcasting immediately.
