Benin: Three journalists banned from presenting news

 

Three journalists at Benin’s state broadcaster, Office de Radiodiffusion et Television du Benin (ORTB), have been banned from presenting on the television station’s 8pm broadcast.

 

Ozias Sounouvou, Prévert Noutèhou and Renaud Acakpo told MFWA’s correspondent in Benin that there was an “order from above that their names should be removed from the list of news presenters for the 20 hours news broadcast”. The order was posted in the editorial room February 1, 2015.

 

The ban of the three journalists follows a statement made by another presenter, Ozias Sounouvou, during the 11:30pm edition on January 12.

 

While presenting the news, Sounouvou called out the President of Benin, Yayi Boni, for participating in a press freedom march in Paris following the Charlie Hebdo attacks while in his own country, people cannot exercise the right to freedom of expression.

In attempts to contain Ebola, Liberia censors its press

      Security forces guard a checkpoint in an area of Monrovia that was in
 quarantine for several days as part of government efforts to try to contain Ebola
 in Liberia. (Reuters

With the Ebola epidemic predicted to get worse, the Liberian government has taken action to silence news outlets critical of its handling of the health crisis which, according to Liberia's Information Ministry, has claimed more than 1,000 lives in the country since March.

Publishers have been harassed and forced to cease printing, and journalists were initially not exempt from a curfew, making it difficult for them to work, according to the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).

During this challenging time, the action by authorities is serving only to strengthen "the distrust" between the government and the media, PUL stated in a letter to Justice Minister Christiana Tah on September 4. In the letter, union president Abdullai Kamara cited several accounts of harassment and intimidation, including cases involving Women Voices, FrontPageAfrica, and the National Chronicle, which have all come under pressure in recent weeks.

Gambia Government called on to investigate Deyda Hydara's murder

Photo credit: Haddija Jawara

Nine years on since journalist Deydara was killed, the Gambia Press Union (GPU), has calledl on the Gambia government to do justice in the murder of journalist Deyda Hydara killed in the line of duty.

 Late Deyda Hydara,  was the managing editor and co-proprietor of The Point newspaper, who was murdered on 16th December 2004. on his paper’s anniversary day. Gambian authorities has never brought the assassins to book

 ‘We call on the Gambia government to properly investigate and brought out assassins of Deyda Hydara,” Jibairu Janneh, executive director of the union said. “Our position still stands the same.”

Janneh was speaking on world press freedom day, a day used to remember colleagues who have been victimize for just speaking out the truth.

World Press Freedom Day is observed annually on 3 May to remind countries and people all around the world, that freedom of the press and freedom of speech and expression are fundamental human rights.

This day is often held to remember many journalists who have died or faced jail in order to bring news to the public.

Photo credit: Haddija Jawara

The government has also been called to do justice in the disappearance of Ebrima ‘chief ’Manneh, who went missing since 2007. Alarmingly, Gambian authorities cannot account for Manneh's whereabouts, and over the years have given evasive and inconsistent responses to regional and international inquiries.

This year’s theme for this day, as declared by the UN, is “Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015 Development Agenda”.

Done in different styles in other parts of the world, The Gambia celebrates it at the Tango office in a form of symposium with panelists who made presentations in different topics.