'Zim brings shame to Africa'
Zim Standard
by our correspondent
ZIMBABWE has been named by African journalists as one of the countries
which bring shame on Africa.
The country was named during a conference of African unions and
associations which represent journalists on the continent at the launch of
the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) in the Nigerian capital,
Abuja.
Other countries named are Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Senegal, Eritrea, Gambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Congo (Brazzaville),
Morocco, Chad, Mali, Tunisia, Egypt, Swaziland, Niger, Cameroon and
Burkina
Faso.
The newly-formed FAJ said it condemned the countries which were making
a mockery of their commitment to media pluralism and democracy by
prosecuting, jailing, intimidating and threatening journalists.
They had failed to investigate violent attacks on journalists and had
encouraged a culture of impunity against journalists.
"We call upon the African Union and the United Nations Human Rights
Commission to investigate, expose and take appropriate action against
countries that are in violation of the fundamental rights of the people of
Africa," read part of a communique endorsed by African journalists.
In attendance were country representatives and heads of regional
groupings of African unions and associations of journalists.
Journalists agreed the newly-launched federation should immediately
start compiling a comprehensive continental re****t on the actions of
African
governments which continued to violate the rights of journalists.
The secretariat of the federation will be tem****arily housed at the
Nigeria Union of Journalists in Abuja while preparations for the inaugural
congress are underway.
The Abuja Declaration, signed following the launch of FAJ, committed
the federation to start campaigning for trade union rights for journalists
on the continent as well as freedom of expression and professional
independence of journalists.
The Abuja Declaration, signed at the end of the conference, stated:
"The federation will establish an Africa Solidarity Fund to strengthen
unions in their trade union work and in defence of journalists' rights and
will ensure the voice of African journalists is heard by immediately
seeking
observer status within the African Union and its agencies and the
recognition of the agencies of the United Nations".
The president of the International Federation of Journalists, Jim
Boumelha, and the IFJ secretary general, Aiden White, attended the Abuja
conference
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