togo: Authorities censor foreign correspondents

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - TOGO

28 March 2003

Authorities censor foreign correspondents

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - According to information collected by RSF, on 26 March 2003,
the Communications Ministry's press attaché informed all foreign
correspondents, including those with Radio France Internationale, Agence
France-Presse, Reuters and the BBC, that the minister was barring them from
practicing their jobs "until further notice." With the exception of the
correspondent for Africa No. 1 radio, the authorities fault the journalists
for not covering a forum on African elections, which opened in Lomé on 24
March. The foreign correspondents had not found interesting issues to cover
at the opening of the forum. Several journalists said they had decided to
wait until the end of the conference and the likely adoption of resolutions
before covering the event.

"This is a reactionary measure from another era. It has been years since we
saw a government censor the entire foreign press corps. The Togolese
authorities have once again demonstrated how imaginative they are when it
comes to attacking the press," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. The
organisation has urged the communications minister not to apply this measure
and to allow foreign correspondents to work without impediment.

According to one correspondent from an international news agency who spoke
to RSF, if this new measure is enforced, it could seriously compromise
journalists' ability to do their jobs. For example, they might be prevented
access to official meetings or no longer be invited to attend government or
other officials' press conferences.

RSF recalls that Togolese President Gnassingbé Eyadéma is included on the
organisation's list of international press freedom predators.

For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.org

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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