Leaders of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African regional organisation of the Worldwide Federation of Journalists, strongly condemned at their biannual assembly in Djibouti on 23 June 2009, the unsafe and precarious working situations of journalists in Africa.
In the course of the assembly, hosted by the Jap Africa Journalists Affiliation (EAJA) and supported by the American Centre for Worldwide Labour Assist (Solidarity Centre), the FAJ management physique was joined by leaders of the sub-regional teams of journalists’ commerce unions in Central Africa, Southern Africa, Northern Africa, West Africa and Jap Africa to debate the safety, monitoring and promotion of the rights of African journalists.
The ultimate declaration highlighted the elevated impunity confronted by journalists by the hands of the enemies of a free press and the flagrant disregard for worldwide labour conventions by media employers, some refusing to supply their staff with a dwelling wage and others to make sure equal pay for equal work for his or her ladies workers.
The FAJ leaders raised sturdy issues concerning the present main disaster affecting media and journalists, in a number of elements of Africa.
They strongly protested the “unwarranted assaults, arrest and detention of media personnel within the Gambia, and the continued harassment and persecution of journalists by the federal government of President Yahya Jammeh that has distinguished itself as an enemy of free press” and demanded that every one the costs levied lately in opposition to seven Gambian journalists are dropped.
“We’re extraordinarily involved that the Gambian authorities had chosen once more to focus on prime commerce union leaders within the Gambia Press Union and media professionals for merely exercising their reputable commerce union actions and journalistic work. This focused crackdown is a barefaced violation of the Gambia’s worldwide authorized obligations to respect freedom of expression and freedom of affiliation,” stated Omar Faruk Osman, FAJ President.
The FAJ leaders additionally strongly condemned the brutalities and violence in opposition to Somali journalists. Within the ultimate declaration, they said “we’re very disturbed by the continued killing , kidnapping, arrests, threats, disappearances and intimidation of journalists and different media staff in Somalia.” They additional known as upon the African Union, the United Nations and related worldwide organisations to maneuver with velocity and restore order in Somalia and to make sure the security and safety of journalists in Somalia.
The current arrest and detention of editors and journalists from the impartial media in Zimbabwe had been additionally deplored in addition to the incessant and scandalous violations of the labour code within the Cameroon’s media business, which led this 12 months, to the dismissal of an workers’ consultant at a every day newspaper, and the following refusal by personal media homes to permit their journalists to organise elections to decide on their representatives this 12 months.
The FAJ leaders reaffirmed their dedication to aim to realize gender fairness within the media within the continent, by combating to eradicate all types of discrimination in opposition to ladies. They agreed the pressing establishing of a Pan-African gender physique.
Lastly the FAJ leaders expressed their concern concerning the present inner disaster, which is consuming the Nationwide Union of Journalists of Tunisia (SNJT) and the reported interference by exterior forces within the affairs and actions of this union. The assertion known as on journalists’ communities everywhere in the world to assist Tunisian journalists of their efforts to defend and protect the independence of their union and respect for its structure by all sides”.
On the shut of their assembly, the African leaders paid a courtesy go to on 25 June to the President of the Republic of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, who reaffirmed his dedication to a free and impartial media in Africa. In stressing the significance of high quality journalism, he added, “I might be your defender, advocate and buddy within the marketing campaign for the combat for press freedom on the continent.”
Of their ultimate declaration, the leaders requested that any sustained advocacy marketing campaign ought to handle the case of 15 journalists believed to be nonetheless detained in a secret jail in Eritrea. They requested for direct intervention by the Africa Union, the UN companies and different related worldwide organisations and careworn the necessity for higher working situations for journalists and media freedom in Eritrea.
Article revealed courtesy of IFJ.org
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