(MFWA/IFEX) – On 14 May 2005, Laurent Aké, editor-in-chief of the independent daily, “L’Intelligent d’Abidjan”, and Traoré Moussa, editor of another independent, “Nord Sud”, were assaulted at Grand Bassam, 30 km east of Abidjan, by activists of the ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI). The journalists also lost their tape recorders and 40,000 CFA francs (approx. […]
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 14 May 2005, Laurent Aké, editor-in-chief of the independent daily, “L’Intelligent d’Abidjan”, and Traoré Moussa, editor of another independent, “Nord Sud”, were assaulted at Grand Bassam, 30 km east of Abidjan, by activists of the ruling Ivorian Popular Front (FPI).
The journalists also lost their tape recorders and 40,000 CFA francs (approx. US$ 75) during the attack.
According to an MFWA-Côte d’Ivoire source, Aké and Moussa had followed a reporting crew from the La Premiere television channel of the Ivorian national radio and television network (Radiodiffusion Télévision Ivoirienne, RTI), to collect copies of the final resolution from the FPI’s seminar, and had inadvertently walked into a room where a group session was in progress.
On entering the room, the journalists were confronted by party official and former health minister Richard Kadio.When they identified themselves, Kadio began shouting and drawing attention to their presence, saying, “point of order, there are spies here, opponents, opposition journalists in the hall!”
Aké and Moussa were immediately attacked by the FPI members, some of whom demanded that the journalists be killed. They were, however, saved by the timely intervention of other people present.
The “Nord Sud” made its first appearance on newsstands on 17 May.
The MFWA is deeply concerned about the frequency with which independent journalists are perceived by zealous party activists as enemies or spies for one or another faction involved in the Ivorian crisis, and subsequently harassed. The organisation views these actions as tantamount to undermining press freedom and access to sources of information.
