Niger: Police officer threatens radio journalists

Niger ALERT: Police officer threatens radio journalists

Ben Issoufou Mohammed and Moussa Inne, journalists of Sahara FM, a privately-owned radio station, based in Agadez, a town of about 1000 km north of Niamey, capital of Niger, were on January 10, 2008 threatened by a police officer stationed at the town’s police station.

The police officer told the journalists: “You are hypocrites and accomplices; I wish you (would) suffer the same fate as your colleague who drove over a landmine in Niamey”, referring to the killing of Abdou Mahamane, director of Radio R & M (Radio and Music), first independent radio station in Niger, in a landmine explosion on January 9.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) correspondent reported that the journalists had gone to the station to cover an invitation extended by the Niamey Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to the former Prime Minister of Niger, Hama Amadou, for allegedly inciting violence at a political rally.

The invitation of the former Prime Minister followed a newspaper’s report. “The Repulicain”, a privately-owned newspaper produced an audio recording of the rally, which was the basis of the invitation.

Earlier on January 8, a similar threat was issued via telephone to another journalist, Abdoul Karim Hassouni, editor- in-Chief of Bonferey FM by an activist of the ruling MNSD party. The activist, Fati Salha accused Hassouni of given the tape to the newspaper.

MFWA condemns these threats on journalists following the recent red alert which empowers the country’s security agencies to act in the wake of the Tuareg Rebellion in the middle of last year.

Prof. Kwame Karikari Executive Director MFWA
Tel: 233 21 242470
Fax: 233 21 221084
Email : [email][email protected]