Togo
Togolese President closes down private radio station

afrol News, 4 March - A private radio station has been closed down after direct orders from Togo's dictator, President Gnassingbé Eyadéma. The radio station had let opposition members express their opinion.

On 28 February, the Audiovisual and Communications High Authority (Haute Autorité de l'audiovisuel et de la communication, HAAC) announced the closure of the private radio station Tropik FM "until further notice." The body acted on presidential orders.

President Eyadéma himself has accused Tropik FM of allowing the opposition to insult the regime. The Togolese president allows no real opposition and independent media in the country, where he has ruled since a military coup in 1967.

Radio station director Albert Biki Tchékin had even been summoned to the Head of State's residence on 28 February. President Eyadéma particularly complained about the broadcast of a programme called "Civic and Political Forum", which features political debates and is followed by a live public call-in programme. 

Mr Tchékin however maintains "nobody insulted the Head of State" in the radio programme. Comments on political issues had been moderate and there had not been any harsh critiques of Mr Eyadéma.

- When we invite opposition representatives we also invite people who are close to the government. People often give an emotional response in the street, says Mr Tchékin. He added that his radio station now had even been prohibited from broadcasting music.

The Paris-based media watchdogs Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) today condemned "this unacceptable move and urges the authorities to do everything within their power to ensure that the station is allowed to resume broadcasting as soon as possible." 

The French group also noted that Tropik FM is the second private radio station to be closed by the authorities in the past year. Both stations frequently featured opposition voices on the air.

The private station Radio Victoire was closed on 7 February 2002. The radio station was accused of not complying with the HAAC's formal demand that the station cease broadcasting several "controversial" programmes that "led their hosts to make impassioned and defamatory statements that discredit [Togo's] constitutional and administrative authorities." 

One of the programmes on Radio Victoire had featured a denunciation of human rights violations in the country. The Togolese government has several times been condemned by the international community for violating basic human rights, even by the Africa Union.

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