A large crowd prevented Arsène Evariste Kabore and Issa Kafando from covering a meeting between Burkinabe labour unions and the government.
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 19 March 2011, a large crowd in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, prevented Arsène Evariste Kabore and Issa Kafando, editor-in-chief and cameraman, respectively, of the state-owned Burkinabe Broadcasting Corporation (RTB), from covering a meeting between Burkinabe labour unions and the government.
The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that the RTB crew were singled out among many journalists by the angry mob who accused them of deliberately twisting their 8 March protest in Koudougou, a suburb of Ougadougou against what they described as the high cost of living in the country.
This is the second time that RTB has come under attack this month.On 11 March, angry demonstrating students of the University of Ouagadougou attacked two other journalists of RTB, Ahmadou Dicko and Urbain Somé. The angry students accused the RTB of censoring their previous protests about the death of their colleague Justin Zongo, who was allegedly killed by police in a demonstration. However, the Burkinabe authorities claimed the student died from meningitis.
In another development, the High Council for Communication (CSC) withdrew the broadcasting rights of Africa Numero 1 radio station on 11 March for failing to meet its financial and contractual obligations to the CSC.
