Africa: Guinea Bissau – Journalist Union President Denied the Right to Cover Government Activities

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns, in the strongest terms possible, this act of intimidation, harassment and violation of the fundamental right against the President of one of its affiliates and reminds the Guinea Bissau’s Government of journalists’ fundamental right to seek, receive and impart information.

India Correira was part of a group of journalists who went to cover the delivery of a cold chain product purchased by the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC) for the Government of Bissau.

Immediately after the initial briefing, Guinea Bissau’s Minister for Health, Maria Inacia Co’ Mendes Sanha, left the ceremony in protest at the presence of Indira Correira. “We were in the room without knowing what was happening. The former Director of the West African Organisation for Health, Placido Cardoso, called me and asked if we could talk outside,” the journalist told the IFJ. Placido informed Indira Coreira that Minister Mendes Sanha said that she had instructions from ‘above’ that she should not cover any government activity. “I demand why, and ask: why should my right as a journalist be jeopardised? I eventually went back to the hall, picked up my bag and left.”

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “The recent attacks on the media and journalists in Guinea Bissau is alarming and can only be seen as an attempt to stifle press freedom and silence the media, preventing it from executing its duties in the public interest. Denying the SINJOTECS President, Indira Correia Balde, the right to cover a public ceremony under the orders of the President of the Republic is a flagrant violation of her right to seek, receive and impart information. We expressly ask the Government of Umaru Sissoco Embalo to stop intimidating the press, respect fundamental press freedom principles and let journalists do their job freely.”

The IFJ has expressed deep concerns at the Government of Guinea Bissau’s systematic pattern of repression of the media, including brutal attacks against Capital FM journalist Djuma Culubali and Radio Popular journalist Ngouisam Casimiro Monteiro on 31 July conducted by the Rapid Intervention Police officers while covering a teachers’ protest vigil at the Ministry of Education.

For more Information, please contact the IFJ – Africa Office

1st Floor, Maison de la Presse, 5 Rue X Corniche, Medina,

BP 64257, Dakar, Senegal

Tel: +221- 33 867 95 86/87; Fax: +221- 33 827 02