*OpEdNews*

Original Content at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_submitte_071115__22countries_that_sham.htm
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*November 15, 2007*

*"Countries that Shame Africa"*

*By submitted by Georgianne Nienaber*

Media Release
15 November 2007

New Federation of Journalists Launches with Scathing Attack on "Countries
that Shame Africa"

Journalists from all corners of Africa yesterday launched a new continental
federation to provide a unified voice for newsroom staff campaigning for
better working conditions and professional rights.

The Federation of African Journalists was launched at a congress in Abuja on
the theme of "Building a Strong and United Voice for African Journalists"
that included participants from 20 countries and leaders of sub-regional
groups representing journalists from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.
The Federation began its work with a stinging attack on countries they
accuse of denying media rights, which they said should be condemned by the
African Union.

"We welcome this historic moment of unity and solidarity for Africa," said
Jim Boumelha, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) President, who
was present at the conference hosted by the Nigeria National Union of
Journalists, the continent's largest journalists' group. "Journalists are
angry at the way governments and authorities abuse media. They are
determined to fight for their rights and they want a single, unified
Federation that will speak for all African journalists and that will ensure
actions to support African journalism are led and driven by African
journalists themselves."

The Federation of African Journalists comes into being after regional
conferences over the past two years and calls for more unity from successive
world congresses of the IFJ in Athens and Moscow. The process has been
boosted by the strengthening of co-operation between existing networks of
journalists in the west, east, south and northern regions which together
embrace all language and ethnic groups on the continent.

The Federation's first public statement was to issue a strong protest over
African governments that jail journalists and encourage a culture of
impunity by failing to investigate violent attacks on media staff.

"These governments shame Africa and make a mockery of commitments to
pluralism and democracy," said the Federation.

The Federation called on the African Union and the United Nations Human
Rights Commissioners to investigate, expose and take appropriate action
against states violating the fundamental rights of the people of Africa.

In particular, the Federation called on the African Union Special Rapporteur
on Freedom of Expression in Africa to investigate the actions of governments
including "Somalia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea
Bissau, Senegal, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Niger, Gambia, Tunisia, Egypt,
and Swaziland where there have been credible reports of serious violations
of journalists' rights."

One of the first actions of the new Federation, which will hold its first
statutory continental congress next year, will be to seek immediate
recognition by the African Union and the agencies of the United Nations. The
Federation will be supported by the IFJ and the Nigeria Union of Journalists
in the initial phase of its work.

Click here to read the declaration launching the Federation of African
Journalists.
<http://www.ifj.org/pdfs/Abuja%20DeclarationLaunch151107.pdf>
Click here to read the declaration on the countries that "shame Africa."
<http://www.ifj.org/pdfs/Abuja%20DeclarationShame151107.pdf>
*For more information contact the IFJ at +32 2 235 2207*
*The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide
*

http://www.ifj.org/pdfs/Abuja%20DeclarationShame151107.pdf

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