H.E. Mamadou Tandja
President
Presidential Palace
Niamey
Niger

Fax: +227-722 245 / 733 430 / 724 529 / 732 245

Vienna, 16 September 2005

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, leading journalists and media executives in over 112 countries, is becoming increasingly worried at the worsening press freedom situation in Niger.

Formerly an African country with a tradition of supporting the media, recent months in Niger have seen considerable pressure applied on journalists. Many of the violations appear to be directly related to a disputed famine in some parts of the country. The Niger government has strenuously denied the existence of a famine, but the United Nations and aid agencies warned earlier in the year that the country had all the indicators necessary for a famine to take hold.

In a sign of the government’s displeasure at the mention of famine, Tchirgni Maďmouna, editor-in-chief of the government weekly, Sahel Dimanche, was removed from her position and given three months leave after the newspaper’s 29 April issue warned of an impending famine.

The article by Sahel Dimanche was followed by the reports of Radio France International (RFI) journalist Donaig Le Du who travelled to the worst affected areas and showed how international aid agencies were responding to the emergency. Le Du was later accused by state television of tarnishing Niger’s image.

In the face of these reports, the government has continued with its refusal to acknowledge the existence of a severe food crisis, leading to additional reporting by independent media clearly showing that the government was in denial.

Aside from reporting on the food crisis, the media also investigated the flow of aid into the country and its distribution. Some reports highlighted claims that ruling party officials were diverting aid to their own supporters. This led to a legal complaint from the governor of the Agadez region, Yahaya Yandaka, against Hamed Assaleh Raliou, director of the independent Sahara FM. Raliou was arrested and then given bail. He appeared before the Agadez regional court on 15 July and faces further hearings.

Abdoulaye Harouna, editor-in-chief of the independent weekly Echos Express, also faces prison and fines because of his newspaper’s reports on Yandaka. In Harouna’s case, the prosecutor asked for a four-month prison term, as well as a fine of approximately US$19,000. The judge in the case is due to give his verdict on 27 September. The Alternative Media Group also faces problems because of director Moussa Tchangari’s membership of a coalition protesting a new tax on foodstuffs, water and electricity. Tchangari was arrested, along with other members, and media have been warned not to cover the coalition’s protests.

In reviewing recent events, IPI is deeply concerned that the Niger government has misunderstood the role played by the independent media in a crisis. During a possible famine, the independent media can act as an early warning system, alerting the government to potential disaster and allowing it to act accordingly. Moreover, the media can also examine the government’s work at the local, regional and national levels to ensure it responds appropriately and that aid reaches those most in need.

Therefore, the work of the independent media, and those in the state media prepared to speak out, is invaluable to a government facing such a crisis. It provides a clear idea of what is occurring in society, allowing government to expose corruption and greed that may inhibit the famine response. This is especially true in countries where there is an over-reliance on state media who may be encouraged to report only what the government wishes to hear, thus blinding it to the true nature of affairs.

With this in mind, IPI believes that rather than criticising the independent media and using the criminal law to punish journalists willing to speak out on the food crisis, the government should be supporting the independent media’s work. The pursuit of journalists, who may have exposed uncomfortable truths, undermines the government’s own reputation and encourages the view that the authorities have, for their own reasons, done their utmost to avoid accepting that parts of the country are in crisis.

IPI invites Your Excellency to do everything in your power to uphold Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into the on-going food crisis and any laws that interfere with the media’s right to report free of constraints.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director