Africa
2005
SOMALIA
NOVEMBER 28, 2005 Posted: December 8, 2005 Ahmed Mohammed Aden, Gedonet Online and Jubba FM Radio IMPRISONED Reporter Aden was jailed in the southern city of Kismayo following an online story claiming that the Jubba Valley Alliance faction had been importing arms in violation of a U.N. arms embargo, the National Union of Somali Journalists…
Two more journalists detained as police raid newspapers and local journalists’ association
New York, November 28, 2005— Ethiopian authorities have arrested another two journalists bringing the number detained since political unrest erupted four weeks ago to at least 12. Sources told the Committee to Protect Journalists that Serkalem Fassil, publisher of the Amharic-language weeklies Menilik, Asqual and Satanaw, and her husband Iskinder Nega who is also a…
Journalist freed without charge after four years in jail
New York, November 21, 2005— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaac, who had been jailed without charge since a government crackdown closed the entire independent press in September 2001. Isaac has dual Eritrean and Swedish citizenship. Fourteen journalists remain in Eritrea’s secret jails or otherwise deprived of their…
Journalist jailed for defamation
New York, November 21, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is outraged that a journalist accused of defaming a government official has been placed in “preventive detention.” Salifou Soumaila Abdoulkarim, director of the private weekly Le Visionnaire, was arrested November 12 after State Treasurer Siddo Elhadj filed a defamation suit, local sources said. “It is outrageous…
KENYA
NOVEMBER 16, 2005 Posted: December 2, 2005 Kass FM CENSORED The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), an official regulatory body, suspended the privately owned radio station Kass FM, which broadcasts in the local Kalenjin language from the capital, Nairobi. Government spokesman Alfred Mutua accused the station of inciting ethnic hatred and violence, but local journalists…
UGANDA
NOVEMBER 15, 2005 POSTED: December 2, 2005 The Monitor HARASSED The government has threatened to close Uganda’s leading independent daily The Monitor over a story about President Yoweri Museveni’s first choice for army chief. Conrad Nkutu, managing director of The Monitor, told the Committee to Protect Journalists that the authorities demanded that the paper retract…
Government threatens to close independent daily
New York, November 15, 2005—The government has threatened to close Uganda’s leading independent daily The Monitor over a story about President Yoweri Museveni’s first choice for army chief. Conrad Nkutu, managing director of The Monitor, told the Committee to Protect Journalists today that the authorities demanded that the paper retract the story and apologize. Nkutu…
Australian freelancer released from police custody
New York, November 14, 2005—Australian freelance journalist Andrew Mueller was released on Sunday after two days in police custody in southwestern Cameroon. Mueller was arrested in the town of Kumbo on Friday after interviewing members of the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC), which claims a separate state for Anglophone Cameroonians. He was later transferred to…
Two more Ethiopian journalists detained in growing crackdown
New York, November 14, 2005—Ethiopian authorities have detained another two editors, bringing the number of journalists arrested since political unrest erupted two weeks ago to eight. Sources told CPJ that security forces arrested Andualem Ayle of the private, Amharic-language weekly Ethiop, and Nardos Meaza of the private, Amharic-language weekly Satanaw, sometime last week.
NIGER
NOVEMBER 12, 2005 POSTED: December 2, 2005 Salifou Soumaila Abdoulkarim, Le Visionnaire IMPRISONED Salifou Soumaila Abdoulkarim, director of the private weekly Le Visionnaire, was arrested November 12 and placed in preventive detention after State Treasurer Siddo Elhadj filed a defamation suit.