8 June 2005
SENEGAL'S MEDIA LAWS IMPEDE PRESS FREEDOM: CPJ
Compared to most of its neighbours in West Africa, Senegal is a model of stability, boasting a sturdy functioning democracy and one of the region's strongest independent presses. In May 2005, it won UNESCO's endorsement when it hosted the UN agency's World Press Freedom Day celebrations.
However, local journalists say the country's media laws pose a long-term threat to press freedom unless the government acts on its year-old promises to reform, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
CPJ has released a new report, "Freedom ... With Limits", which looks at journalists' struggles to end criminal sanctions for press offenses and other repressive legal provisions.
It says a year after President Abdoulaye Wade promised to scrap a repressive provision from the Penal Code and decriminalise press offenses, there has been little progress toward meeting these goals and the government has scaled back its reform initiatives.
Read the report here: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/senegal_05/senegal_05.html
(Image: Abdoulaye Wade)
RSS