(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2000 WAJA press release: (WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2000 WAJA press release: Statement on WAJA’s 14th Anniversary On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the founding of WAJA, we wish to renew our pledge to defend and promote press freedom in our […]
(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2000 WAJA press release:
(WAJA/IFEX) – The following is a 21 June 2000 WAJA press release:
Statement on WAJA’s 14th Anniversary
On the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the founding of WAJA, we wish to renew our pledge to defend and promote press freedom in our sub-region.
WAJA was established 14 years ago, at a time when the political landscape in our 16 member-countries was dominated by military regimes and one-party states. Those years were marked by arbitrary arrests and detentions of journalists.
Today, almost all the countries in the sub-region have returned to constitutional rule, but this welcome transition to democracy has not resulted in significant gains for freedom of expression.
Freedom of expression is criminalised in all of WAJAâs 16 member-countries, where obsolete criminal libel laws dating to colonial times remain on the statute books and haunt the practice of journalism. Apart from arrests and detention, journalists continue to pay with their lives for practicing their profession, a tragic situation which is the lot of both local and international journalists who work in our region.
Civil strife in a number of our countries has further deepened the troubles of journalists in West Africa.
However, despite these dangers and the systematic oppression of journalists, we are strengthened in the knowledge that West African journalists continue to show courage under the most oppressive conditions in the world.
WAJA salutes all journalists in the region for their contribution to the democratic process and the struggle for human rights.
We also wish to place on record our appreciation for the contribution of international organisations who have supported our struggles over the years. We hope the coming years will see us develop partnerships to promote and defend press freedom in Africa and worldwide.
Kabral Blay-Amihere
WAJA President
