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AU SUMMIT HOST BANS FORUM ON FREE EXPRESSION

The Gambian government has refused to allow a group of civil society organisations to hold a forum on freedom of expression at the African Union Summit in Banjul, reports the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).

MFWA and 14 other free expression organisations have signed a letter protesting the move, saying it violates the African Union's constitution. On 19 June 2006, Gambian authorities informed the hotel where the forum was to be hosted that the event could not take place until it was approved by the government.

"The African Union offers a new framework for good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law. It is therefore unacceptable and intolerable that, despite being the host of the African Union Summit, the Gambian government persists in silencing free speech and trampling on the basic rights of Gambians," the organisations said.

The organisations who signed the letter included Media Rights Agenda, the Media Institute of Southern Africa, the West African Journalist Association, ARTICLE 19 and the International Federation of Journalists.

Scheduled for 29-30 June, the forum was to bring dozens of organisations together to examine the main challenges facing free expression in Africa, and to seek ways to more effectively use continental mechanisms such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights to protect free expression in their countries (see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/75191/).

The free expression groups say their forum was singled out by the Gambian government for obstruction, noting that other civil society meetings focusing on less "sensitive" issues have been given the green light to proceed.

Last week, the Gambia was criticised by the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. donor, which denied aid to the country after examining "documented evidence of human rights abuses and increased restrictions on political rights, civil liberties, and press freedom by the government," notes the International Press Institute (IPI).

Visit these links:
- Joint Statement on the Ban:
http://www.misa.org/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1151398087
- Forum on Freedom of Expression in Africa:
http://www.article19.org/pdfs/press/africa-forum-on-freedom-of-expression.pdf
- IPI: http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/statements_detail.html?ctxid=CH0055&docid=CMS1150893401469
- AU Summit:
http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/Past/2006/July/summit/summit.htm