Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)

Editor Abdul Karim Fonti Kabia was assaulted by pastors of the Baptist Convention Church after publishing a story about the church’s leader.

Angry youth mounted roadblocks, dug trenches and burnt tyres to protest the poor condition of the Takoradi main habour road. A number of journalists were caught in the violence.

César Etou and Boga Sivori were arrested in connection with an article that claimed President Ouattara had acquired luxury Mercedes Benz cars for himself and members of his cabinet.

After hearing rumours of the death of Dawit Isaak, an Swedish-Eritrean journalist held without charge for ten years, 31 members of IFEX are asking President Isaias Afewerki to confirm that he is still alive and if so, to release him from prison.

The seized edition of the paper included an article critical of Alhaji Allie Batorma Sheriff, former chair of the opposition Sierra Leonean People’s Party, who has now defected to the ruling All People’s Congress.

Prior to the UN summit of world leaders in Rio in June 2012 (Rio+20) to discuss the environment and sustainable development goals, 77 civil society organisations recommend the adoption of national laws on access to information, public participation and access to justice in the environment, a new UN convention on access to environmental information, and a UN Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Malick Noel Seck was sentenced to two years imprisonment over his protest letter to the Constitutional Council asking it to reject the third term candidacy of the incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade.

Moses Richards was serving a two-year prison sentence for sedition and another six months for “giving false information” to the office of President Jammeh.