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CPJ Outraged By Attacks On Newspaper Offices, Government Ban Against Eight
Publications

Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)
PRESS RELEASE
November 8, 2004
Posted to the web November 8, 2004

In a 5 November 2004 letter to President Laurent Gbagbo, CPJ expressed its
outrage over violent attacks carried out on 4 November on four private
newspapers in Abidjan, and by a government ban against eight newspapers. These
grave attacks on press freedom came as hostilities resumed in the rebel-held
north of the country. CPJ also expressed alarm at the silencing of three
international radio stations in Abidjan, reportedly by an act of sabotage.
On the afternoon of 4 November, gangs of more than 100 armed youths attacked
private dailies "Le Patriote", "24 Heures", "Le Nouveau Réveil" and "Le Libéral
Nouveau", looting and destroying equipment and documents, according to local
sources and international news reports. They set fire to the premises of "Le
Patriote", "24 Heures" and "Le Libéral Nouveau", which were badly damaged. CPJ
sources said they believe the attackers were "Young Patriots," militia loyal to
President Gbagbo's Ivoirian Popular Front (FPI) party. All four newspapers
managed to evacuate staff, and no one was hurt.
Sources at "Le Patriote" said the youths arrived in two buses of the Ivoirian
public transport company and tried to break down the newspaper's metal door. It
was at this point that the staff managed to escape. Employees at other
newspapers were able to escape thanks to warnings from their colleagues at "Le
Patriote". However, staff at these newspapers say they have received threats
accusing them of supporting the rebels and opposition, and that they fear for
their safety. None of these newspapers are currently able to publish, owing to
the damage to their premises and equipment.
Also on 4 November, a number of newspapers considered sympathetic to the
opposition were banned from distribution in the government-held south,
according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) and local sources. AFP quoted a
military source as saying the move was a "restraining measure against these
pro-rebel newspapers in conjunction with movements on the ground." CPJ sources
said a government official had delivered a list of eight banned newspapers to
the distribution company Edipresse: "Le Patriote", "24 Heures", "Le Nouveau
Réveil", "Le Libéral Nouveau", "Le Front", "Ivoire Matin", "Le Journal des
Journeaux" and "Le Jour Plus".
On 4 November, President Gbagbo's government launched military air strikes on
rebel positions in the north of the country, ending a ceasefire that has been
in force since 2003. Ivory Coast remains divided between the government-
controlled south and rebel-held north, despite a fragile 2003 peace deal.
Early on 4 November, unidentified elements sabotaged the FM transmitters of
international radio stations Radio France Internationale (RFI), BBC and Africa
No. 1, silencing their FM broadcasts in Abidjan. Their transmitters are based
in the same location. AFP quoted a reliable source as saying that seven
unidentified people entered the transmitter location in the Plateau district of
Abidjan at 2 a.m. (local time) on 4 November. After overwhelming the guard,
this group removed frequency modulation cards that allow the FM broadcasts, AFP
said.
This is not the first time that these transmitters have been sabotaged during
national crises. For example, the same radio stations went off the air on 25
March at the time of a banned opposition demonstration during which government
forces killed at least 120 people, according to the United Nations. Broadcasts
resumed a few days later, but Ivoirian authorities gave no explanation (see
IFEX alerts of 31 and 29 March 2004).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the president:
- condemning these attacks in the strongest terms, and stating that you
consider them grave violations of press freedom
- calling on him to publicly denounce violence against the press, and to do all
in his power to rein in the armed militias who carry out such attacks in his
name
- calling on his government to lift the ban on the eight private newspapers,
and to take all possible steps to ensure that journalists can carry out their
work in Ivory Coast without fear of reprisal
APPEALS TO:
President Laurent Gbagbo
La Présidence
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Fax: +225 20 32 90 77
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
MORE INFORMATION:
For further information, contact Africa Program Coordinator Julia Crawford or
Research Associate Adam Posluns at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001,
U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail: africa@cpj.org,
Internet: http://www.cpj.org/

   

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