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JOURNALISTS PLACED ON ASSAULT LIST

Malawi's ruling party, the United Democratic Front (UDF), has reportedly drafted a list of journalists to be assaulted "for allegedly discrediting" its image, reports the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). Citing an article in the "Daily Times", MISA says the UDF plans to employ members of the Young Democrats group to seek out and assault "Daily Times" reporters Mabvuto Banda and Penelope Paliani, "Nation" reporter Pilirani Semu and BBC correspondent Raphael Tenthani. The group is reportedly led by presidential youth advisor Henry Moyo and Humphrey Mvula, Chief Executive of Shire Buslines, though Mvula has dissociated himself from the group, according to MISA.

In recent months, assaults on journalists in Malawi have been increasing. Last month, in a letter to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which Malawi is a member, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed alarm at the "deterioration of press freedom." In August, seven men assaulted Africa Eye News Service reporter Brian Ligomeka for "writing negative things about [Malawi President Bakili] Muluzi," according to CPJ. Ligomeka had been reporting on a SADC conference being held in Malawi. CPJ says he recognised the leader of the men as a member of the UDF's youth cadres. According to MISA, two other journalists – Chinyeke Tembo, editor of the "People's Eye" weekly and John Saini, publisher of "Pride" magazine – were also targeted before and after the conference took place. President Muluzi has yet to issue a public statement on the attacks, notes MISA.

The UDF has been criticised in the past for its dealings with the media. In its 2000 World Press Freedom Review, the International Press Institute (IPI) notes that during the June 1999 Presidential elections, UDF was discovered to have manipulated media coverage of the event. An investigation by ARTICLE 19 had uncovered a disinformation campaign carried out by groups directly linked to the ruling party. For more information, see www.misa.org, www.cpj.org and www.freemedia.at/wpfr/world.html.