Mauritania

(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert: During the week of 12 to 18 October 2003, authorities at the Ministry of Interior, Post and Telecommunications in the capital, Nouakchott, banned or seized the print runs of four weekly newspapers. The affected publications are “Le Calame”, “Le Journal du Jeudi”, “Le Sahara” and “Essahiva”. […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged the Mauritanian authorities to lift a suspension order against the weekly “Le Calame”. The Ministry of the Interior, Posts and Telecommunications, which regulates the press, suspended issue 414 of the weekly on 19 October 2003, citing Article 11 of the Press Law, which allows for censorship without explanation. Article 11 […]

(MISA/IFEX) – The following is a joint MISA-MFWA alert: On 23 September 2003, the Interior, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry seized issue 80 of the Arabic-language newspaper “Essahifa”. Ministry officials claimed the action was in keeping with Article 11 of the 1991 Law on Press Freedom in Mauritania, Act 91-023, which allows for seizure “by order […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 29 July 2003, RSF condemned the Interior Ministry’s decision to ban distribution of the latest issue of the newspaper “Le Rénovateur”. The paper’s managing editor, Cheikh Tijane Dia, attributed the ban to an article about the fall of the national currency, the ouguiya, on the black market in the capital, Nouakchott. RSF […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced its concern about the banning of the Islamist weekly “Raya” and the closure of its offices under an Interior Ministry order on 1 June 2003. “As far as we know, this Islamist publication has never called for violence, contrary to what the Mauritanian authorities say,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said. […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The latest issue of the daily “Nouakchott info” has been banned by the authorities, allegedly over an article about the Mauritanian Central Bank governor. “We ask that you reconsider this measure,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said in a letter to Interior Minister Lemrabott Sidi Mahmoud Ould Cheikh Ahmed. The organisation recalls that nine […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 14 January 2003, RSF denounced the Mauritanian government’s ban on the latest issue of the weekly Arabic-language newspaper “Sahafa”. The issue was censored because it contained a report on opposition activities abroad. “This ban demonstrates once again that the authorities will not tolerate the independent press giving a voice to opposition figures,” […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 6 September 2002 IPI letter to President Maawiya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya: H.E. Maawiya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Office of the President BP 184, Nouakchott Mauritania Vienna, 6 September 2002 Your Excellency, The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 22 August 2002, RSF protested the Interior Ministry’s decision to ban the latest issue of the weekly “Le Calame”‘s Arabic-language edition. The newspaper carried a report about a demonstrations that took place during President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya’s recent visit to France. “This measure demonstrates yet again to what degree human […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The latest issue of the weekly newspaper “La Tribune” has been banned, apparently because it contained criticism of recent government efforts to interfere with the election of the president of the national bar association. “This shows that despite the government saying it favours a “free, strong and professional” press, it continues to use […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is a 30 April 2002 IFJ press release: Journalists condemn arbitrary arrests in Mauritania The International Federation of Journalists, the world’s largest journalists’ organisation, condemns Mohamed Fall Ould Oumère’s arbitrary arrest. The publication director of the weekly La Tribune was arrested on 12 April. Accused by the Mauritanian government of covering […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Mauritania’s Interior Minister, Lemrabott Sidi Mahmoud Ould Cheikh Ahmed, RSF protested the arrest of Mohamed Fall Ould Oumere, publication director of the French language weekly newspaper “La Tribune”. “To the best of our knowledge, this journalist, who is well-known for his independent viewpoint, was simply doing his job. We […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Communications and Relations with Parliament Rachid Ould Saleh, RSF protested the prohibition on Mohammed Lemine Ould Bah, correspondent for Radio France International (RFI) and Radio Monte Carlo Middle East (RMC Middle East) in Nouakchott, from working for these two radio stations. “In addition to the constant problems […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Dah Ould Abdeljellil, minister of the interior, postal services and telecommunications, RSF protested the banning of the Arabic-language weekly “Al Alam”. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister to “cast aside this decision,” which he considered to be “all the more worrying when one considers that the last such […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the minister of the interior, postal services and telecommunications, Dah Ould Abdeljellil, RSF protested the interruption of Radio France International (RFI) programmes on FM, in Nouakchott. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister to “cast aside this unjustifiable decision.” One month ago, the Qatari television station Al Jazira was […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of Justice Lemrabot Sidi Mahmoud Ould Cheikh Ahmed, RSF expressed its concern about the recent assault on Ely Ould Nafa, editor of the weekly “L’Opinion libre”. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the minister to “keep the organisation informed of the results of the inquiry which was launched the […]