CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Country Summary

Against the backdrop of three army mutinies within the year, more than a dozen independent newspapers were in circulation in the Central African Republic at varying intervals. The private press continued to publish, despite the threat of lawsuits routinely brought by government officials who managed to charge journalists with defamation for reporting on government corruption whenever clashes between mutineers, security force loyalists, and French troops died down.

In May, French troops based in Bangui intervened on President Ange-Felix Patasse's behalf after the first mutiny in April, sparked by demands that Patasse resign for bankrupting the country. In late December, a truce was negotiated after Patasse managed to maintain his control over central Bangui and refused to accede to mutineers' demands on the grounds that they were unconstitutional.

Government officials repeatedly sued Le Novateur  journalist Marcel Mokwapi and convicted him of defamation, a charge that is punishable by prison sentences of up to two years and prohibitive fines, for articles critical of government officials and their activities.

The state controls one newspaper, which publishes sporadically, a wire service news bulletin, and a radio and television station. A Christian radio broadcaster runs the only independent radio station currently in operation in the country, which airs strictly religious programming. The government refused to allow the establishment of other privately owned radio stations, claiming they would become voices for the opposition.

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