Burundi
Burundian rebels barred from media statements

afrol News, 7 March - Burundi's President Pierre Buyoya has ordered all Burundian radio stations to cease airing messages from two rebel groups in the country. Radio stations were not even to make reference to rebel statements at all, the presidential order outlined.

On 4 March, President Buyoya summoned management representatives from all public and private radio stations in the country. He ordered them to cease mentioning or airing statements from two rebel groups, the Democracy Defence Forces (Forces pour la défense de la démocratie, FDD) and National Liberation Front (Force nationale de libération, FNL), who have neither signed nor implemented the cease-fire agreements. The ban comes a few days after negotiations between the government and the FDD broke off.

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says that reporters in the capital, Bujumbura, had argued the ban violates press freedom. CPJ adds the reporters also are concerned the order could be an obstacle to peace, depriving Burundians of full access to views about the nation's civil strife. Radio services are the main source of Burundians, as newspapers and television services barely reach outside the capital.

Also the Paris-based media rights group Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has expressed its concern over the decision in a protest letter to the Burundian President. The group urged President Buyoya to lift the ban and see to it that journalists are allowed to work in a free and safe environment in the country.

- In a country where radio broadcasts are the principal news source, and just as peace talks are underway, it is unacceptable that Burundian citizens should be left without access to certain news stories, stated Robert Ménard, Secretary-General of RSF. 

The Burundian Head of State had not specified what the consequences might be should the radio stations ignore his order. One private radio station director told RSF that journalists would be forced to ignore news about certain rebel groups from now on and would be "unable to perform our job duties properly."

RSF also recalled that the Burundian government took a similar decision on 16 May 2002. At the time, the Defence Minister, Major General Cyrille Ndayirukiye, had prohibited media outlets from publishing or broadcasting interviews with rebels. The government had also placed Burundian websites under surveillance.

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