Africa: Support for freedom of expression petition grows

Support continues to pour in for the Africa Union - Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Campaign Petition. Find below, a selection of supporters and signatories so far - from 62 organisations worldwide and dozens of individual journalists and activists from all continents. Please continue to sign up. Signatures and suppourt recived by the 7th of July will be submitted to the out going and in coming Chairs of the African Union, but further support will be submitted periodically to ensure the new African Union Chair places media freedom and freedom of expression at the top of the AU agenda.

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

Aidan White, General Secretary

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

Luckson Chipare, MISA Regional Director

West African Journalists Association (WAJA)

IBRAHIM FAMAKAN COULIBALY
PRESIDENT DE UJAO / WAJA

World Association of Newspapers (WAN)

Timothy Balding, Director General of WAN

Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (EFJA)

Kifle Mulat, President

National Union of Journalists (UK and Ireland)

Jeremy Dear, General Secretary

ARTICLE 19 - Global Campaign for Free Expression"

John Barker Africa Programme Director

Owais Aslam Ali
Secretary General
Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Alie Eleveld

On behalf of the Society for Women and AIDS in Kenya

Independent Journalism Centre, Nigeria

Sola Isola, Diriector

Ndimara Tegambwage - Executive Director of Centre for
Democratic and Strategic Management (IDEA) in Dar es
Salaam. Member of Network of African Peace Builders
(NAPS), member of Peace and Security Network
(PeSeNet)of the Great Lakes Region of Africa

Soodhakur Ramlallah
Secretary Mauritius Union of Journalists (MUJ)

Sheik Mohamed Kabba - Secretary General)

Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ)

Shobhakar Budhathoki

General Secretary

Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES)

Kathmandu, Nepal

Corina Cepoi,

Independent Journalism Center (IJC)

Project Director

On behalf of the IJC

Republic of Moldova

Carl Morten Iversen
administrative secretary
Norwegian PEN Centre

Fatoumata Toure

Global Pan African MovementEx

Officio Member of the Secretariat

Panos Institute West Africa( PIWA)

Mamadou NDAO, Coordinator of Communication, Civil Society Good Governance Programme

Eric Johnson Internews Europe, Executive director

I here by support the idea and endorse the document (on my personal behalf).

James Walugembe -President Uganda Newspaper editors and proprietors Association (UNEPA)

Kolawole Olaniyan
Legal Adviser (Africa)
Legal and International Organisations Program
Amnesty International (Personal Capacity)

FIND BELOW SELECTED COMMENTS FROM SIGNATORIES AND SUPPORTERS OF CAMPAIGN

We beg the forgiveness of those that wrote in Spanish, Portuguese and French. We will publish selected translations in future editions of Pambazuka

"Democracy cannot prevail when the freedom of press is tempered with."

-James Walugembe, President,Uganda Newspaper editors and Proprietors Association

“Practising journalism in Zimbabwe is like venturing into a minefield. I don't know what my next step will land on. We are working under repressive laws that gag us from carrying our day to day duties."

-Kumbirai Mafunda, The Standard Business Writer, MISA Zimbabwe

"For NEPAD to work Africa will need an unfettered media. African journalists have come a long way and I believe freedom will not mean they will forget their responsibility to the motherland."

-Chief Sub Editor, Energy Desk, Reuters News Agency and, member of the Black Members Council of the National Union of Journalists in the United Kingdom and Ireland

"As for me I have been exiled for five months in Benin and Nigeria at the beginning of war in Cote d'Ivoire."

-Seydou Kone "Daily "Le Patriote"", Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire: Reporter, webmaster (www.lepatriote.net)

“ I am signing on behalf of Mon Unity League, a group of indigenous Mon activists in exile from Burma and Canadian citizen volunteers. We are committed to human rights and freedom and we support the people of Africa in their struggle for freedom of the press and freedom of association. In Burma millions of people live like prisoners in their own country, where owning a fax machine or communicating with persons outside of their country will be incarcerated for life if caught by the military authorities. In solidarity”

-Lita Davidson, Vancouver, Canada.

"I am one of the victims”

khaled Abdu khab (Eritrean journalist who never experienced (a) free press so far…”)

“A conducive atmosphere must be guaranteed for journalists to operate and ensure freedom of the press."

Lekan Otufodunrin , Journalists for Christ Nigeria, National Coordinator

"The right of the African journalist to practice without fear of intimidation, molestation, any form of physical harm, psychological or emotional pressure from authorities is closely tied to the much desired socio-political advancement of the continent. The journalist can only assist his society when he is able to function without fear. It is only in an environment that information flow easily with journalist performing their roles without hindrance that there would be popular participation in governance and developmental projects"

-Tunde Aremu Senior Programme Officer International Press Centre (IPC)Lagos, Nigeria"

"Free all journalists, scrap draconian media laws of sedition, libel, publication of false news, criminal defamation, insult laws"

-David Balikowa "The Monitor Publications, Managing Editor, Uganda

“Please Register me and my organization as signatories to the petition for release of incarcerated journalists on the continent (and beyond)… I look forward to doing more with you.”

-Ndimara Tegambwage - Journalist/Editor and publisher. Now Executive Director of Centre for Democratic and Strategic Management (IDEA) in Dar es Salaam.

We are in total support of the Africa Press Freedom Campaign.

-Vinnie Hodges, Executive Director Liberia Institute of Journalism

“Full support of this petition"

-Mamadou NDAO, Coordinator of Communication, Civil Society Good Governance

Programme, Panos Institute West Africa ( PIWA)

"Freedom of movement, association, expression and opinion must be safeguarded in Africa in the spirit of Ubuntu." "

Fatoumata Toure , Global Pan African Movement Ex Officio Member of the Secretariat