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COTE D IVOIRE: Anxiety at police raid on media house

ABIDJAN, 13 September (IRIN) - A raid by 10 policemen on a publishing house in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on Monday 9 September was on Thursday condemned by Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), which described it as "worrying" for press freedom in the West African country.

Mayama Editions publishes two daily newspapers: Le Patriote and Tassouman, which are believed by the Ivorian government to be close to the opposition Rassemblement Des Republicain (RDR) party.

RSF, an international lobby group for media freedom, wrote to President Laurent Gbagbo on Thursday to protest against the raid.

It urged the president to "respect" his commitment to freedom of the press and called for punitive measures against the police who conducted the raid.

"This incursion of the police is worrying for freedom of the press in Cote d'Ivoire. We hope that this will remain an isolated case," Robert Menard, RSF Secretary General, wrote to President Gbagbo.

It is believed the raid was conducted in connection with an article published in Tassouman which reported an increase in car-jacking in Cote d'Ivoire.

The report said the car of the Minister of the Interior, Emile Doudou, was among those to have been stolen. The minister denied the report.

According to the local press, the newspaper offices were turned upside down by police. A number of people, including journalists, were reportedly injured in a scuffle in which the police used tear gas.

Local newspapers in Abidjan reported on Wednesday that two cabinet ministers, Sery Bailly (Communications) and Victorine Wodle (Human Rights), had visited the Mayama offices and expressed regret over the incident.
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