Press Code improvements will not guarantee greater liberty if authorities circumvent the code, as they have in the past, says a report on press reforms in Togo from the Committee to Protect Journalists. And while the government has promised political parties equitable access to the state media - the only media with a nationwide reach - there is reason to be wary of this guarantee as well. Togolese President Gnassingbé Eyadéma is Africa's longest-serving head of state whose ironfisted tactics and numerous human rights abuses led the European Union (EU) to suspend cooperation with Togo in 1993. But in Brussels in April 2004, the Eyadéma regime pledged 22 democratization reforms in a bid to get EU economic sanctions lifted.

Less than two months before presidential and general elections in Ghana, radio stations operating in the Northern Region of the country have been banned from broadcasting "political" discussions, interviews and phone-in programmes. Deputy Minister for the Region Charles Bintim, who is also chairman of the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), imposed the ban on 11 October 2004 in a meeting with directors and news editors of radio stations in Tamale, the regional capital.

On 24 October 2004, Zamzam Abdullahi Abdi, a member of the Somalia Women Journalists Association's (Sowja) governing board, was abducted and detained overnight by unidentified armed individuals in Mogadishu before being released on 25 October. "We welcome the fact that Abdi was released safe and sound, but her abduction reinforces the urgent need to rebuild a state in Somalia. We call on President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, as part of his new duties, to do justice to press freedom activists like her by heeding their struggle and their message," Reporters sans frontières (RSF), said.

The SANTEC Weekly Newsletter is an e-mail service aimed primarily at people interested in using information and communication technologies to improve the quality of education in the developing world.

The One World Trust is a non-profit organisation that lobbies decision-makers to develop global rules and organisations to achieve the eradication of poverty, injustice and war. You can sign up for OWT news alerts at their web site.

The Resource Alliance have partnered with CR Search and Selection (CRSS) to launch a new international recruitment website for the not-for-profit sector called: Global Fundraising Jobs. The URL is: www.globalfundraisingjobs.com. The aim of the website is to put charities who need fundraisers in touch with prospective candidates, wherever they are based in the world.

Debate is a listserve that attempts to promote information and analyses of interest to the independent left in South and Southern Africa. Send DEBATE mailing list submissions to [email protected]. To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit: http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/debate or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected]. You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected]

The Angola Television programme Ponto de Encontro, or Meeting Point, has played an important role in the reunification of many families after 27 years of war. For over two years, they have been recording messages from people in the square in the hope their relatives will see them and get in touch after being separated. Victoria had been to Independence Square four times to record her message to her sister, Rosalina, who she had not seen for 28 years. On 7 April, 2004, Rosalina saw her sister's message by chance. She contacted the Orion production offices in Luanda to check if it really was her. It was.

Despite increasing dependence of the Nigerian public and private sector operations on the Internet, there were fears over the weekend that Nigeria might be losing out of the critical issue of Internet governance in the African region where it prides itself as a giant. Such fears come from the apparent lack of positioning by government and private sector operatives in the relevant bodies that are striving to seek control the administration of the Internet in the African region.

Gambia has decided to revoke a controversial 2002 media law requiring journalists and the privately owned press to register with a state-run commission, a local radio station reported on Wednesday. Local media and international organisations from the start condemned the media commission set up by the law, which had the powers of a court and whose chairperson was appointed by the head of state.

Cyber Law for Civil Society- A Resource Guide is useful for civil society organizations in understanding the basics of the Information society and the various global and regional institutions, policies and processes that govern the Information society. It is filled with many case studies and supplemented by useful links and referrals. In the post World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) is critical for African Civil Society organizations to mobilise, participate and decide on key ICT policy and regulatory issues that affect us. For a free copy, please email [email protected]

The HIV and Stigma: Challenges and Solutions An Open Space Technology (OST) Conference will be held in Johannesburg South Africa, on the 22nd till the 25th of February 2005. Using OST technology, delegates will explore the challenges of HIV-related stigma, with the primary focus being the sharing and exploration of how to overcome stigma in service delivery. The conference is restricted to 100 delegates only, including 20 conference scholarships (refer Conference Fees and Logistics).

Former French teacher turned Playwright, John Sibi-Ukumu, is breaking new grounds. His new work, "Role Play" - an unapologetic look at racial stereotypes in modern Kenya - was chosen to premiere at the historic reopening of Nairobi's National Theater this fall. He put off his desire to write for fear of the repressive regimes of presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi. Today, Ukumu is just one of a number of artists and writers flourishing under the new democracy of President Mwai Kibaki.

Reporters Without Borders has condemned an attack by militiamen working for businessman and self-proclaimed president Abdinur Ahmed Darman, who slapped, threatened and then fired on radio reporter Abdullahi Yassin Jama in Mogadishu on 16 October, after he and another journalist interviewed the inhabitants of a refugee camp. Jama, who works for Radio Banadir, and Zeynab Abukar Mohammed, a journalist with HornAfrik Radio, had been interviewing civilian refugees in "Camp Bosnia" in Mogadishu whose homes had been devastated by heavy rain.

On 13 October 2004, Minister of Communications and Civic Education Pitang Tchalla assured RSF's Togo correspondent and other representatives of press freedom organisations that the government recognised its obligation to guarantee the safety of journalist Jean-Baptiste Dzilan, publication director of the privately-owned weekly "Forum de la Semaine". "We welcome [the government's] decision and trust that the journalist will henceforth be able to resume his professional activities without disruption," RSF said.

On 7 October 2004 two Indymedia Web Servers were seized from the US-owned web hosting company Rackspace operating in London (UK), at the request of the US Justice Department, which apparently acted at the prompting of Italian and Swiss authorities. Indymedia is a global alternative media network that provides challenging and independent reporting, particularly of political and social justice issues, with a newswire where any member of the public can publish their own reports and articles.

The seizure of the servers in London shut down around 20 different Indymedia websites including Ambazonia, Uruguay, Andorra, Poland, Western Massachusetts, Nice, Nantes, Lilles, Marseille, Euskal Herria (Basque Country), Liege, East and West Vlaanderen, Antwerpen (all Belgium), Belgrade, Portugal, Prague, Galiza, Italy, Brazil, UK, and parts of Germany Indymedia. Many are still offline, those few that have returned have suffered data loss.

The particular legal framework under which the seizures took place is unknown. Five Days after the seizures there is still an almost total information blackout from the authorities in the UK, US, Switzeland and Italy. Indymedia still has no confirmation of who ordered the seizures, who took the servers in London, why the seizures took place, where the servers are now located, and whether they will be returned.

We are concerned over the growing use of international co-operation frameworks by Governments and Law enforcement agencies which can be used to obscure clear legal process, and call for openness and clarity in international co-operation, to ensure due process and that civil liberties are protected. Statements of support for Indymedia and condemnation of the shutting down of over 20 Media outlets have been recieved from The Electronic Frontier Foundation, The International Federation of Journalists, the National Union of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters and many other organisations.

Indymedia UK condemns the seizure of the servers as an unacceptable and unprecedented attack on press freedom, free speech and privacy and asks for urgent solidarity action in demanding:

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please write to the British Home Secretary and the US Attorney General:

1. Expressing grave concern at the action taken against Indymedia.

2. Demanding the immediate return of the servers to Indymedia with all data intact.

3. Requesting a full investigation into the circumstances and legality of the action taken to seize the Indymedia servers and to close Indymedia websites, with the disclosure of the names of the organisations and individuals involved in the seizure.

APPEALS TO:

Rt Hon David Blunkett MP Home Secretary The Home Office London - UK Email: [email protected]

John Ashcroft Attorney General US Department of Justice Washington - USA Email: [email protected]

Please send copies of letters to: [email protected]. Organisations and individuals are also encouraged to issue their own statements in support of Indymedia and against the seizure of the servers. Please send copies to: [email protected]. Additionally, organisations and individuals can add their statements of support at: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/10/298931.html. For background on the Server Seizures see: http://indymedia.org/en/static/fbi

Created by the European Commission (EC) in 1992, the Lorenzo Natali Prize for Journalism is awarded each year to journalists from the written and on-line press who stood out for their remarkable understanding and particular involvement in reporting on Human Rights and Democracy. Deadline: 31 October 2004.

The government will not allow the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) access to the public media ahead of the parliamentary elections slated for March 2005. The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa told Parliament during the 13 October question and answer session that the government was not so "stupid" as to allow the MDC access to the state-controlled media. He said doing so would enable the opposition party to disseminate British and American propaganda to "effect an illegal regime change against a popularly-elected government."

The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) Amendment Bill, which is designed to tighten the controversial media law, was tabled in Parliament on 5 October 2004. Among its provisions, the bill seeks to amend certain sections of the AIPPA for purposes of imposing a penalty for journalists caught practicing without a licence. The bill has been referred to the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) and it has 26 days to determine the constitutionality of the bill and present a report on its findings to Parliament.

Dear Editor,
The article by Riaz Tayob of the Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (Seatini) in South Africa is very education and informative. One wonders whether some of the African leaders spare time to read this kind of literature. It would should help them become exposed and understand on how to deal with their counterpart leaders from the North. Institutions like World Bank and IMF have literally taken over the roles and responsibilities of the states in Africa through pushing through the throat of high indebted countries in Africa with a bitter pill aimed at underdeveloping them. Like Riaz says, this is done through imposed free trade and liberation policies. Which from the countries in the North, who appear to have the control in these IFIs, did not in their time when they were developing dared not to follow. My observation is that this type of information, that Riaz is sharing, must reach out to more people in Africa. Especially the poor. The challenge remains how to do this in the context of the prevailing underdeveloped information communication systems. Even the language used, is of the oppressor, which very few urban based intellectuals can access. Who may use it for themselves and not even widely share this knowledge to empower the African populace. This is one big weakness with our 'educated' Africans. How then do you think Pambazuka could assist to popularise such information and widely communicate it to reach out to the grassroots. This I believe can be one way towards liberalisation of Africa from both social and economic bondage. If the people of Africa are empowered with information, knowledge and their anger evoked, they would control their destiny with or without the elite, whose interests appear to compromise with the oppressor as 'consultants' opportunists at the expense of the poor and Africa as a whole.

Editor's response: Like you, we think it is important that articles such as this should be widely circulated both at grassroots level as well as to parliamentarians. We would like your help in sending copies of Pambazuka News as widely as possible, and encourage everyone to write to their members of parliament with a copy of the article.