Africa

2011

  
From left, Reeyot, Woubshet, Persson, and Schibbye. (Feteh, Awramba Times, Kontinent)

In Ethiopia, terrorism charges against five journalists

New York, September 7, 2011–Ethiopia filed terrorism charges on Tuesday against four independent journalists detained in the country since June and July, along with the editor of a U.S.-based news forum critical of the Addis Ababa government, according to local sources and news reports.

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A workstation inside RLTV. (John Bompengo)

In pre-election violence, arsonists target DRC TV station

New York, September 6, 2011–Unidentified armed men today torched the studios of a private television station that aired programs favorable to Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, local journalists and news reports said. At around 2 a.m., a dozen men threw tear gas into the studios of Radio Lisanga Télévision (RLTV), based in…

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Police and protesters in Luanda's Independence Square. (Alex Neto)

Journalists attacked while covering protest in Angola

New York, September 6, 2011–Angolan security forces attacked journalists covering an anti-government protest on Saturday in the capital, Luanda, news reports said. At least two dozen people were arrested and several others injured as police blamed the violence on protesters.

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Malaysian cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd is the 35th journalist killed in direct relation to his work in Somalia. (Bernama)

AU must act after journalist is killed in Somalia

New York, September 5, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the African Union to ensure the safety of civilians operating in Somalia after witnesses reported that AU forces fired on a Malaysian humanitarian convoy in Mogadishu on Friday, killing one journalist and injuring another. Calling the shootings “deeply regrettable,” the African Union Mission in…

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CPJ concerned about detained Ethiopian journalists

New York, September 1, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists holds Ethiopia responsible for the well-being of two journalists detained without charge or legal access since June under the country’s far-reaching anti-terrorism law.

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Journalists take cover while Malema supporters protest the ANC leader's disciplinary hearing. (Daniel Born/The Times)

In South Africa, journalists attacked during ANC protest

New York, August 31, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by anti-press violence by supporters of Julius Malema, youth leader of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress, and is relieved that the party leader has urged restraint.

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The front of private radio station Radio Daljir was damaged in a grenade attack on Friday. (Radio Daljir)

Grenade attack damages Puntland radio station

New York, August 29, 2011–Authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland should conduct a thorough investigation into a grenade attack against a private radio station that left a security guard injured and the station damaged, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. “This is the second attack on Radio Daljir,” said CPJ East Africa Coordinator Tom…

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Marchers urge ruling party to end abuse. (John Bompengo)

DRC journalists urge ruling party to halt abuse

An estimated 200 Congolese journalists marched to the National Assembly in Kinshasa on Friday to show their outrage over reports that supporters of incumbent President Joseph Kabila have physically and verbally abused members of the press. 

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DRC politician taped threatening journalist

New York, August 25, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate allegations of threats made earlier this month by a member of parliament against a journalist. The politician’s threats were caught on an audio recording of the phone call, which was widely posted on the Internet.

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Legal protection falls short for Zimbabwe’s Insider

The Insider is a political newsletter about Zimbabwe, edited by veteran journalist Charles Rukuni. Founded in 1990, it was printed as a 12-page leaflet until 2003, when Zimbabwe’s hyper-inflation made it impossible to publish with annual subscriptions. Rukuni made the move to the Web, where he continued to archive and publish stories at insiderzim.com. Rukuni’s…

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2011