PRESS STATEMENT: ISSUED 17.00 PM - JUNE 5th, 2003

CREDO AND FAHAMU LAUNCH PETITION CALLING ON AFRICAN UNION HEADS OF STATE TO FREE ALL INCARCERATED JOURNALISTS AND REPEAL ANTI MEDIA & ANTI-FREE EXPRESSION LEGISLATION

CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights and Fahamu have launched a petition calling on African Union Heads of State to release all incarcerated journalists and repeal all anti freedom of expression legislation. The petition is to be presented at the African Union meeting of Heads of State in Maputo in July and is addressed to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa the current Chair of the AU.

The petition launched in the current edition of the Africa focussed mass circulating electronic newsletter “Pambazuka” states “We are writing to express our concern over the continued incarceration of and harassment of journalists in the majority of African countries for no other reason than carrying out their legitimate duties. We are also very concerned about the persistent violation of freedom of expression in Africa, which denies Africans the opportunity to participate in democratic debate towards solving the many problems facing the continent.”

The petition amongst other points, also emphasises that:

“Active participation of citizens in shaping policy and decision making of their countries is impossible if their own governments continue to deny them the rights necessary to ensure such participation. These include the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association and political participation, as well as media freedom to facilitate a free exchange of information, ideas and opinion.”

“It was with great hope and expectation that all Africans and friends of Africa welcomed the launch of the African Union and looked forward to a new future based on its constitutive Acts. However two years into this
bold experiment, no significant progress has been made. Even worse, two of the first five countries to sign up i.e. Eritrea and Zimbabwe have been turned into living hells for the media by the governments of those countries.”

The petition ends by calling on the “concerned African leaders to without delay release all incarcerated journalists, re-open all closed media houses, repeal anti-media legislation and recognise the importance of a free press, freedom of expression and other associated rights as vital ingredients necessary to build free,
democratic and prosperous societies. Only when this is done will the NEPAD initiative and any future similar initiatives have any real meaning for the peoples of Africa.”

Both organisations called on ”Africans and friends of Africa especially journalists and campaigners” to ensure they sign the online petition in order to make a strong statement to the African Union meeting in July.

Rotimi Sankore Coordinator of CREDO further stated “Representative Heads of State of the African Union attended the G8 summit to seek more support for Africa when they themselves are not doing enough to help the continent. NEPAD was designed without appropriate input from or consultation with African civil society. It therefore sounds hollow to many Africans when NEPAD is trumpeted as the ultimate solution to Africa’s problems while there is so much repression and lack of free speech on the continent.”

“There must be no double standards on fundamental rights and freedoms for Africans by either the G8 or African Union Heads of State.”

The Pambazuka editorial in support of the petition and the petition can be read and signed from http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15362 .

Or to sign up directly, send your name, organisations name [if applicable] and country to [email protected]. Kindly state if you are signing in your personal capacity or on behalf of your organisation.

ENDS

For further information, please contact either FAHAMU or CREDO.

FAHAMU

14 Standingford House, Cave Street, Oxford OX4 1BA, UK

Tel: 01865-791777

Fax: 01865-203009

Email: [email protected]

Http://www.fahamu.org

Fahamu is committed to supporting progressive social change in the South through using information and communication technologies. Fahamu believes that civil society organisations have a critical role to play in defending human rights, and that information and communications technologies can and should be harnessed for that cause. We are committed to enabling civil society organisations to use the Internet in the interests of promoting social justice.

Fahamu specialises in making electronic information available to this community by:

* Producing electronic newsletters disseminating news, information and debate about social justice in Africa

* Producing distance learning materials for human rights and humanitarian organisations

* Providing training through face-to-face workshops

* Managing websites for our partners

* Making web-based resources available for offline use

* Undertaking social policy research on Africa

Fahamu has a small core of staff and associates located both in UK and Africa. The word 'Fahamu' comes from the Kiswahili word for understanding/consciousness

Fahamu comprises a small core of highly skilled and experienced staff based in Oxford (UK) and in Durban (South Africa), and associates based in the UK and internationally. Our headquarters are in Oxford. Fahamu also works with a wide range of international partners.

CREDO International Office:

Centre for Research Education & Development Of
- [CREDO]- Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights.

73-75 Newington Causeway
London SE1 6BD, UK

Tel: + 44 20 77875501
Fax:+ 44 20 77875502

E-mail: Media – [email protected] , General – [email protected]

CREDO is an International human rights organisation based in Senegal and London and focusing on work in Africa. CREDO believes that freedom of expression and other strongly associated rights, are major platforms on which all civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights stand. CREDO further believes that “without distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status” everyone is entitled to these rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, The African Charter on Peoples and Human Rights and other similar documents.

While freedom of expression remains an inalienable right, it is often overlooked that it is in reality, not a stand-alone right but is also a ‘gateway’ right to these other strongly associated rights, which are no less important and demand equal attention. These rights include the rights to opinion, assembly, association and so forth. An attack on any of these rights is more often than not an indicator that other associated rights are not fully assured.

Collectively these rights are infinitely more important than they are individually. Their intertwined nature means that they are best defended and promoted collectively and not in isolation from each other.

While maintaining an international perspective, CREDO’s work focuses on themes in Africa related to: freedom of expression, media freedom, rights/access to information and information resources; freedom of opinion, association, assembly and related rights; and anti-discrimination issues e.g. discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, political persuasion etc.