Journalists barred from press conference
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 22 December 2004, journalists were prevented from covering a press conference address by the head of state, General Lansana Conté. According to MFWA-Guinea, the “red berets” of the Presidential Security Unit’s Autonomous Battalion (Bataillon autonome de la sécurité présidentielle, BASP), a special branch of the army responsible for the president’s security, barred […]
Suspension order against newspaper lifted
(RSF/IFEX) – On 8 December 2004, the National Communications Board (Conseil national de la communication, CNC), Guinea’s media regulatory body, announced the lifting of a suspension order against “Le Quotidien” newspaper. The paper was suspended “indefinitely” more than three weeks ago and its editorial team is experiencing serious financial difficulties as a result of the […]
Privately-owned daily closed by authorities
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the closure of “Le Quotidien”, Guinea’s only privately-owned daily, on 13 November 2004. The National Communication Council (Conseil national de la communication, CNC) announced the paper’s “indefinite suspension” following the publication of an article entitled, “The country is in bad shape . . . when will the uprising take place?” […]
Security minister seizes weekly’s entire print run
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has criticised Guinean Security Minister Moussa Sampil for confiscating all 950 copies of the weekly “Le Petit matin” on 23 September 2004 because of an article ridiculing his “mistakes”, and then trying to justify the seizure by falsely claiming the newspaper was illegal. “We not only protest the security minister’s arbitrary decision, […]
“Jeune Afrique L’Intelligent” news weekly banned for second week in a row
(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert: The Ministry of Local Government (ministère de l’Administration du Territoire et de la Décentralisation, MATD) has banned the sale of the 9 to 15 May 2004 edition (issue 2261) of the news weekly “Jeune Afrique L’Intelligent”. This is the second time in the last two weeks […]
Authorities censor French news weekly “Jeune Afrique L’Intelligent”
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: GUINEA: Authorities censor French weekly New York, May 5, 2004-Authorities in Guinea have blocked distribution of this week’s edition of the France-based news weekly Jeune Afrique L’Intelligent, which carries an exclusive interview with François Lonsény Fall, who just resigned as Guinea’s prime minister. The magazine’s May […]
Journalists harassed following elections
(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert: Following the controversial 31 December 2003 elections in Guinea, several independent journalists in the country have been harassed and intimidated for stories and comments referring to the elections. According to MFWA sources in Guinea, Sanou Kerfalla Cissé and Talibé […]
Issue of newspaper banned
(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) alert: State authorities in Guinea have banned an issue of the weekly newspaper “Jeune Afrique l’Intelligent”. According to MFWA-Guinea, court officials who carried out the seizure order on 10 December 2003 refused to give reasons for their action. The issue […]
“Le Populaire” newspaper and journalists suspended
(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert: The National Communication Council (CNC), Guinea’s media regulatory body, has suspended the bimonthly newspaper “Le Populaire” for a story it carried in its 30 September 2003 edition (issue 24). Ibrahima Diallo, the paper’s managing editor, and Abdallah Balde, who wrote the story, have also been suspended. […]
Journalists attacked by armed soldiers, equipment destroyed
**MISA and the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA), as a joint activity, will henceforth issue alerts, statements and appeals to highlight media freedom and wider human rights violations in West Africa. See www.misa.org and www.mediafoundationwa.org for more information** (MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert: On 27 June 2003, armed soldiers from […]
Journalist arrested in Conakry
(RSF/IFEX) -In a letter to President Lansana Conté, RSF protested the arrest of Boubacar Yacine Diallo, journalist and founder of the independent bi-monthly “L’Enquêteur”, on the morning of 19 December 2002. “This arrest constitutes a violation of legal procedures,” stated RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “Nothing justifies the detention of a journalist who was only doing […]
Journalist arrested for implicating president’s family in scandal
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President Lansana Conté, RSF protested the arrest of the weekly “L’Aurore”‘s publication director. “Legal procedures are casually held up to ridicule in this affair,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “Journalists accused of violating the press law are granted twenty days before being heard, according to Guinean law. The […]
Photographer beaten by police officers
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Security Ahmadou Camara, RSF expressed its anger over the assault on photographer Mamadou Cellou Diallo by police officers in Conakry on 4 December 2001. “He is not the first journalist to have been subjected to such treatment. We ask that all necessary steps are taken to put […]
Journalist arrested and beaten by police
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Communications and Culture Mamady Conde, RSF protested the arrest of Tibou Camara, publication director of the private weekly “L’Observateur”. RSF asked the minister to ask the relevant authorities to release the journalist. “He did nothing more than exercise his right to inform, guaranteed by several international treaties […]
CPJ protests de-accreditation of foreign correspondents
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 10 August 2000 letter to the president of Guinea’s National Communications Council (CNC), Emil Tompapa, CPJ called on the CNC to immediately and unconditionally reinstate the press credentials of the Conakry-based foreign correspondents Mouctar Bah (Agence France-Presse), Ben Daouda Sylla (Africa No. 1), and Amadou Diallo (BBC). On 28 July, the […]
Journalist threatened with imprisonment
(FPJQ/IFEX) – The following is a 28 July 2000 FPJQ letter to Guinean President Lansanna Conté: Montreal, July 28, 2000 Lansanna Conté President Republic of Guinea Fax : (224) 41 16 21 Mr. President, The Professional Federation of Quebec Journalists (FPJQ) is astonished and indignant to learn that the Guinean journalist Alphadio Modesto Ayibatin is […]