Saikou Ceesay, a reporter with the Banjul-based opposition Foroyaa newspaper was on June 15, 2008 arrested and detained overnight in Kotu Police Station in Kombo province, about 11 kilometres South/West of Banjul ,capital of Ghana.

In a landmark decision delivered on June 5, 2008, The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria declared the arrest and detention of Chief Ebrima Manneh illegal and ordered the Gambian authorities to immediately release him.

Nasteh Dahir Farah (in Somali language: Nasteex Daahir Faarax) was assassinated by two men armed with pistols in Fanole village of Kismayo district on Saturday, 7th June 2008. He was returning home, when killers, who were following him, called his name and as he turned, the hooded attackers started shoot him in the chest and stomach, leaving him dead.

Bullets mutilated his stomach and chest, according to his wife and doctor. The assailants escaped while his neighbours rushed him to the hospital.

Approximately 10 minutes after when he was admitted, medical staff declared Nasteh Dahir Farah dead due to heavy blood loss. So far the killers have not been identified and no arrests have been made. Kismayo is the third main city of Somalia. It is controlled by clan militias and armed groups loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts.

Hundreds of well-wishers of family members, journalists, intellectuals, clan elders, politicians, civil society members and religious leaders turned out to pay their last respects to the renowned journalist. All speakers at the funeral called for justice.

They spoke about late journalist’s performance and his personal and professional neutrality in the armed political conflict. The media in Kismayo was shut down to mark his funeral.

Nasteh Dahir Farah, who was born on 18 October 1980 in Abudwak district, left a wife and son. Nasteh’s wife Idil Abdi Ahmed is six months pregnant. His son Mohammed-Deq Nasteh Dahir Farah is 10-months old. Nasteh’s father died in Abudwak in February 2008. His mother Asili Farah Nur lives in Abudwak with Nasteh’s brothers and sisters of more than 15.

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From June 8 to13 a Mission made up of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ Africa Office based in Senegal), Southern Africa Editors’ Forum (SAEF), Southern Africa Journalists Association (SAJA), the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Office and the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO) visited Zimbabwe on a fact finding mission to ascertain the conditions of media and freedom of expression in Zimbabwe in the light of the arrests of journalists, both local and foreign and the deteriorating freedom of expression environment.

Reporters Without Borders welcomes a regional court ruling ordering Gambia to release Chief Ebrima Manneh, a reporter who was arrested by the National Intelligence Agency on 7 July 2006 and has been missing ever since. The ruling, issued on 5 June by the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), is the first of its kind concerning a journalist.

Reporters Without Borders warns the Cameroonian authorities of the dangers of allowing relations between the privately-owned press and government to deteriorate after a total of six journalists were briefly arrested last week for referring to a sensitive issue involving the president and a TV programme was cut short while being broadcast for the same reason two days ago.

Most countries in the East and Horn of Africa have constitutions guaranteeing the freedom of the media. In real life, however, the same countries ignore or sidestep their own legislation. In addition, they have a frighteningly impressive repertoir of direct and discret, brutal or subtle means of repression.

The Agencia Nacional de Communicacoes of Cape Verde has signalled intention to legalise VoIP. It will licence international VoIP service providers offering cheap calling and offer two classes of numbering. It has also licensed another Triple Play operator which will take advantage of the change in regulation to offer IP-TV, Internet and voice services. It joins the last real legaliser Botswana’s BTA which also opened the door to international VoIP service providers at the end of last year.

The Centre for Human Rights, at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, calls on President Mwanawasa, in his capacity as Chairperson of SADC, and on President Mbeki, in his capacity as SADC mediator on Zimbabwe, to take all possible measures to ensure the immediate and extensive deployment of SADC observers in Zimbabwe.

A survey on learning via technology (e-learning) in Africa suggests that expertise and management skills of the practitioners, not just advancing infrastructure and hardware, are key to the success of e-learning on the continent. The survey of people involved in e-learning in 42 African countries was released at the eLearning Africa conference in Accra, Ghana, from 28–30 May.

The war in northern Uganda has driven thousands of people from their homes to live in camps. Now, after a lot of trial an error, BOSCO Uganda has brought the internet and low-cost phone calls to the camps, giving the people a chance to tell their own story.

The European Union demanded on Friday the immediate lifting of a ban on work by aid groups in Zimbabwe, saying hundreds of thousands of people in the country depended on such assistance for their survival. President Robert Mugabe's government suspended all work by aid groups on Thursday nearly a week after banning some from distributing food, accusing them of campaigning for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in March 29 elections.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged the Cameroonian government to end the intimidation of journalists reporting on corruption scandals in the country after at least five journalists and media industry leaders have been interrogated by police in connection with the publication of articles on a defective aircraft bought for President Paul Biya.

Nigeria’s lower legislative chamber, the House of Representatives on June 3, 2008, for the seventh time, refused to take the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill at the Committee of the Whole (Third Reading). This came barely 24 hours after the upper chambers, the Senate, held a Public Hearing on the Bill.

Three Somali journalists have been awarded the prestigious Hellmann/Hammett award in recognition for their journalism while risking their lives and suffering terrible hardships in the midst of Somalia’s worsening armed conflict, Human Rights Watch has said.

The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria, will on June 5, 2008, deliver its verdict in the case of the "disappeared" Gambian journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh. The Government of The Gambia, which is the defendant in the case, has throughout the proceedings refused to cooperate with the ECOWAS Court, and the judgement will therefore be given without the testimonies of five state agents, who failed to make an appearance before the court on March 11, 2008.

Samuel Ebo Bartels, Sports reporter of Citi FM, an Accra-based independent radio station was on June 1, 2008, violently attacked by a group of policemen deployed at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city.

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has issued a release stating their intention to follow through the case of Joe Okyere, a reporter with the state-owned newspaper Daily Graphic, who was beaten on May 25, 2008 at the residence of Isaac Edumadze, Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Eyan-Essiam Constituency of the Central Region of Ghana.

The recently established Tanzania Media Fund (TMF) seeks to promote media independence and quality, with a particular focus on expanding investigative journalism. TMF will support media houses, editors and journalists to deepen their work and foster innovative learning. The Fund is funded by a multi-donor group and hosted by Hivos Tanzania. TMF seeks Tanzanians for the post of Office Manager, who will play a key role in forming the leadership nucleus and setting up the TMF. Competitive remuneration and a challenging and creative work environment that promotes learning will be offered to the successful candidates.

The recently established Tanzania Media Fund (TMF) seeks to promote media independence and quality, with a particular focus on expanding investigative journalism. TMF will support media houses, editors and journalists to deepen their work and foster innovative learning. The Fund is funded by a multi-donor group and hosted by Hivos Tanzania. TMF seeks Tanzanians for the post of Programme Manager, who will play a key role in forming the leadership nucleus and setting up the TMF. Competitive remuneration and a challenging and creative work environment that promotes learning will be offered to the successful candidates.