Three radio stations shuttered by religious leader

Founded by Mbacké's ancestor, the mourides are a traditional Islamic brotherhood that exerts considerable influence over many aspects of Senegalese life. A ruling by the spiritual leader known as the caliph, while not legally binding, carries great practical weight.

According to the independent daily Walfadjri, the caliph said he intended to "preserve the holy city from occult practices contrary to Islam."

The ban occurred several months after Disso became the first commercial radio station to set up shop in Touba. Local sources told CPJ that the expulsion could be linked to news and discussion programs broadcast by Disso, including a recent phone-in program in which several callers criticized Touba's elected governing council. Disso's director, Ibrahima Benjamin Diagne, told CPJ that local politicians influenced the caliph's action.

In the capital, Dakar, a committee of scholars, journalists, and civil society leaders issued a statement protesting a growing number of threats to press freedom in Senegal. The statement cited the closure of the Touba stations as a prominent recent example.

"This unilateral decision to bar radio stations from broadcasting in Touba is deeply troubling," said Ann Cooper, CPJ's executive director. "Senegalese authorities must ensure that journalists are free to report and comment on the news throughout the country without fear of reprisal."