cameroon: WAN condemns ban on radio station, threats against three journalists
In a 27 May 2003 letter to Communications Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the World Editors Forum expressed serious concern at the government's banning of the launch of the Freedom FM radio station and the threats made against three journalists. According to reports, on 23 May a state official came to the offices of the private radio station Freedom FM, which was due to begin broadcasting on 24 May, with a photocopy of a document issued by the Information Ministry purporting to stop the launch of the station for "illegally exercising the profession" of broadcasting.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT AND UPDATE - CAMEROON
29 May 2003
WAN condemns ban on radio station, threats against three journalists
SOURCE: World Association of Newspapers (WAN), Paris
**New case and update to IFEX alert of 27 May 2003**
(WAN/IFEX) - In a 27 May 2003 letter to Communications Minister Jacques Fame
Ndongo, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed serious concern at the
government's banning of the launch of the Freedom FM radio station and the
threats made against three journalists.
According to reports, on 23 May a state official came to the offices of the
private radio station Freedom FM, which was due to begin broadcasting at
5:00 a.m. (local time) on 24 May, with a photocopy of a document issued by
the Information Ministry purporting to stop the launch of the station for
"illegally exercising the profession" of broadcasting. Later that afternoon,
police raided the studio in Douala, confiscating equipment and enforcing the
ban. Authorities reportedly claimed that certain formalities had not been
observed; a fact denied by the station's owner, Pius Njawe.
WAN and the WEF are concerned that the government's claims may simply have
been a pretext to prevent the launch of Freedom FM and that the ban is part
of a crackdown against critical media in the run-up to next year's
presidential elections. In April, three journalists from the only
independent daily, "Mutations", were arrested (see IFEX alerts of 24, 18 and
16 April 2003). In March, the private radio station Magic FM was closed for
criticising the regime and two private television stations, RTA and Canal 2,
were suspended in February (see IFEX alerts of 24 April, 19 and 17 March
2003).
The organisations are also concerned that Njawe, who is also director of "Le
Messager", and two of his colleagues, chief editor Jean-Melvin Akam and
journalist René Dassié, have been threatened by senior police officers who
suspect them of having obtained documents which may embarrass the police
force.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the communications minister:
- reminding him that the suppression of media for carrying out their
journalistic functions constitutes a clear breach of the right to freedom of
expression, which is guaranteed by numerous international agreements,
including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the
Declaration states, "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through
any media, regardless of frontiers"
- calling on him to ensure that all procedural formalities are quickly
dispensed with and that Freedom FM is permitted to broadcast without state
interference
- urging him to ensure that journalists are able to carry out their
profession without harassment and that in future his government fully
respects international press freedom standards
APPEALS TO:
The Right Honourable Jacques Fame Ndongo
Minister of Communications
Cameroon
C/o H.E. Mr. Martin Belinga-Eboutou
Permanent Representative to the United Nations
22 East 73rd Street
New York, NY 11021
Fax: +1 212 249 0533
E-mail: [email protected]
Please copy appeals to WAN.
For further information, contact Anne-Marie Stott or Larry Kilman at WAN,
25, rue d'Astorg, 75008 Paris, France, tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00, fax: +33 1 47
42 49 48, email: [email protected], [email protected], Internet:
http://www.wan-press.org
The information contained in this action alert and update is the sole
responsibility of WAN. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit WAN.
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