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Alert

Thirty-five African newspapers affiliated with the "Press and Democracy" network appeal for an end to impunity in Burkina Faso

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is an 8 March 2001 RSF press release:

Thirty-five African newspapers, members of the "Press and Democracy" network, appeal for an end to impunity in Burkina Faso




At the same time as Norbert Zongo's family is announcing its refusal to participate in the "National Day of Forgiveness", organised in Burkina Faso by the government, thirty-five francophone African newspapers affiliated with "Press and Democracy", the first African electronic network for the defence of press freedom, are publishing a campaign asking Burkina Faso's judicial authorities to end the impunity surrounding the journalist's assassination.

The text of the campaign asks: "Mr. Judge, now that you hold the arm which killed, search a little higher and you will find the head." It also reads: "Who had an interest in silencing Norbert Zongo? Today, it is impossible to ignore Blaise and François Compaoré in the investigation of Norbert Zongo's assassins."

On 13 December 1998, Norbert Zongo was found dead, 100 km south of Ouagadougou. The director of L'Indépendant had been investigating the death of David Ouédraogo, the chauffeur of François Compaoré, the head of state's brother. In December 1997, David Ouédraogo was tortured to death by members of the presidential guard. On 19 August 2000, three members of the guard were sentenced to prison terms of ten and twenty years for having illegally detained and tortured the president's brother's chauffeur. On 2 February 2001, one of the three soldiers was also charged with "murder" and "arson" in the Zongo case. Reporters sans frontières welcomed this charge, but expressed its outrage over the "head of state's brother's complete immunity".

Launched with the assistance of Reporters sans frontières and the Francophonie's Intergovernmental Agency, the "Press and Democracy" network includes newspapers and organisations from nineteen francophone African countries. The network organises press freedom campaigns through the Internet and e-mail. The first such campaign, launched this week, involves the simultaneous publication in over thirty-five newspapers of a full-page insert about the trial of Norbert Zongo's assassins. Newspapers participating in the campaign include Le Jour in Côte d'Ivoire, Les Echos du Jour in Benin, Le Pays in Burkina Faso, Le Messager in Cameroon, L'Observateur in Mali, Alternative in Niger, Le Populaire in Senegal, La Référence Plus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Crocodile in Togo. In France, the insert was published in the 25 to 26 February 2001 edition of Le Monde.