Africa: NEPAD ignores press freedom concerns, say media organisations

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), an African initiative aimed at tackling poverty on the continent through better governance, has been criticised by international organisations for ignoring press freedom. Five organisations, including the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the International Press Institute (IPI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC), have expressed concerns that NEPAD's lack of safeguards for press freedom may encourage some governments to continue repressing the media.