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Momodou
Denmark
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 Posted - 19 Apr 2007 : 13:31:10
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African Journalists Honour Slained Norbert Zongo
By Madi M.K. Ceesay
One hundred and fifty journalists from the continent of Africa met in the capital city of Ouagadougou Burkina Faso on 11 April 2007 in the second International Festival of Freedom of Expression (FILEP) organized by the Bukinabe union of journalists in collaboration with the civil society organizations and their National Assembly. The theme for this year's festival is Strengthening democracy through safeguarding freedom of expression and the press.
This is the second time since the idea was conceived two years after the killing of Norbert Zongo, a well known journalist who lived and worked in Burkina Faso until he was killed by the oppressors of freedom of expression on 13 December 1998.
In his opening speech Cheriff Sy, chairman of the Steering committee of FILEP, the organizers of the festival, told the participants that freedom of expression cannot be suppressed if we want democracy to flourish. He called on the government of Burkina Faso to do all within their powers to bring the killers of Zongo to book. He lamented that it is nine years today since Zongo was murdered, depriving his widow and children of him.
Among other speakers at the opening was the President of the West African Journalist Association (WAJA), Ibrahim Coulibaly. He underline responsible journalism. He went further to say that a world without journalist would be a meaningless world. A special tribute was paid to Norbert Zongo and in his memory and that of Deyda Hydara of the Gambia a minutes silence was observed.
In delivering a paper on the occasion Pauline Bend the programme officer of Panos Institute for West Africa told the participants that there has been much violation of media rights including threats, sentencing of journalists and even killing journalists in this part of our continent. "Freedom of speech required guarantee from governments" She called for stronger regulations to protect journalists if they are to do their job.
Bend whose paper is on strategy for the promotion and protection of journalists & media organization said press organizations cannot survive if they lack strong economic resources as well as human resources. She said if there is to be any head way that aspect has to be addressed. Bend noted that there are weaknesses in the area of training. A good promotion should go with training. Responsible journalism is what is needed. She concluded her presentation by saying that the media should consolidate pluralism, failure of that is what results to the difficulty of consolidating democracy.
Saidou Arji of the Media Foundation for West Africa said media and human right organizations are strategic allies. He gave the case of the former Liberian leader as an example of the alliance between the two, which resulted in the trial of Charles Taylor. He told the gathering that the struggle against impunity should be one of collaboration between human right defenders and the media.
He concluded by saying that one should bear in mind that human rights defenders, freedom of expression defenders are unavoidable strategic ally. He called for the cooperation between the two.
Chreff Sy a member of the Burkina journalists union and member of the steering committee of FILEP, the organizers of the festival said in his presentation that, journalists are subjected to threats and to the point of killing them. He gave an example of the case of Norbert Zongo as a case of practical examples. Zongo was killed for no crime other than informing the public. He was killed and buried on the 13 December 1998, about a 100 Kms from the capital Ouagadougou. Sy said killing journalists' impacts on freedom of expression. He said most of our colleagues assassinated never saw justice as in most of the cases the killers are still freely roaming our streets. That is a very clear indication that there is no freedom of expression in such countries.
Freedom of expression is the spinal cord of all rights. If a state protect freedom of expression that means all other rights are protected. He recalled what was said during the opening ceremony that denunciations of right violations must be put into practices. Sy was speaking on the topic ending impunity.
In his contribution to the debate the President of the Gambia Press Union and director of Media Agenda said like the Secretary of the African Union said, we the journalists should not be content with observing press releases any time one of us is killed or have our rights violated. We should as international body of journalists resolve to security problems to stop the mess by taking our cases before international bodies.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 44/2007, 18 - 19 April 2007
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