(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Jean Kouakou Brou, justice minister and minister responsible for human rights, RSF has asked to be kept informed of progress in the investigation of the attack on the offices of the daily “Libération” in Abidjan. RSF also expressed its concern about the intensification of attacks on the opposition press […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Jean Kouakou Brou, justice minister and minister
responsible for human rights, RSF has asked to be kept informed of progress
in the investigation of the attack on the offices of the daily “Libération”
in Abidjan. RSF also expressed its concern about the intensification of
attacks on the opposition press in Abidjan, and demanded that authorities do
everything possible to assure the security of journalists in Côte d’Ivoire.
According to the information gathered by RSF, on the night of 25 October
1999, the technical offices of “Libération” (a newspaper close to the
opposition Rassemblement des républicains party, RDR) were looted by unknown
persons. The night watchman was killed by blows from a stone used by the
attackers. Several computers, as well as printers and a scanner, were
stolen. On 27 September, Lama Fofana, manager of the daily, said he “escaped
an assassination attempt” while behind the wheel of his car. On 21
September, Abdoulaye Bakayoko, owner of “Libéral”, another daily close to
the RDR, was assassinated in the streets of Abidjan (see IFEX alerts of 29
and 23 September 1999).
