Press release RSF
5 November 2004

Reporters Without Borders said it was "outraged and sickened" by a
crackdown yesterday on the opposition press in Ivory Coast that is
coinciding with a sharp deterioration in the political and military
climate and attacks by pro-government forces on former rebels.

"Yesterday was a black day for free expression in Ivory coast and it was
the result of a concerted operation aimed a silencing dissident voices in
Abidjan," the organisation said.

"The authorities must understand that politically-motivated raids, carried
out by loyalist militia and sanctioned by the armed forces, are not only
illegal but also unacceptable for a government that calls itself
democratic," Reporters Without Borders continued. "As we have said over
and again, President Laurent Gbagbo must not allow armed civilians to
install a reign of terror in Abidjan."

Reporters Without Borders urged international organisations and countries
that still have influence in Ivory Coast to do everything possible to get
the authorities to stop the current crackdown, which comes against a
backdrop of political violence in which the media are viewed as military
targets.

"We are confident that the United Nations, which is a guarantor of the
Accra accords, will intercede forcefully as the gagging of the opposition
press is always a harbinger of more violence," the press freedom
organisation said.

In yesterday's violence, the offices of the dailies 24 Heures and Le
Patriote (a newspaper that supports Alassane Ouattara's party, the RDR),
were ransacked and torched in the afternoon by groups of pro-government
"Young Patriots." All of the equipment at the Nouveau Réveil (a daily that
supports former president Henri Konan Bédié's party, the PDCI-RDA) was
wrecked by about 200 civilians armed with iron bars and clubs and wearing
the T-shirts of the hardline wing of President Gbagbo's party, the FPI.

A military source told the Agence France-Presse bureau in Abidjan in the
evening that distribution of daily newspapers that support the opposition
and former rebels had been banned in pro-government areas. "These
protective measures against the pro- rebel newspapers have been taken to
accompany the movements on the ground," the source said.

The newspapers affected were Le Patriote, Le Libéral, Le Front, Le Nouveau
Réveil, Jour Plus and 24 Heures, which are all accused of "defending the
rebellion." The ban was imposed as air raids were carried out by the
Ivorian armed forces against former rebel positions in the central city of
Bouaké and in the north.

Local re-transmission of Radio France Internationale (RFI), the BBC World
Service and Africa N°1 on FM frequencies has been cut since the night of 3
November when a commando sabotaged their joint relay installations.

Reporters Without Borders had already voiced concern on 27 October about a
growing campaign of censorship, intimidation and violence against
opposition newspapers in Ivory Coast following reports of raids by Ivorian
youth groups on street vendors in Abidjan.

ACTION ALERT UPDATE - CÔTE D'IVOIRE

8 November 2004

CPJ outraged by attacks on newspaper offices, government ban against eight
publications

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York

**Updates IFEX alerts of 5 November, 28 and 27 October 2004**

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 5 November 2004 letter to President Laurent Gbagbo, CPJ
expressed its outrage over violent attacks carried out on 4 November on four
private newspapers in Abidjan, and by a government ban against eight
newspapers. These grave attacks on press freedom came as hostilities resumed
in the rebel-held north of the country. CPJ also expressed alarm at the
silencing of three international radio stations in Abidjan, reportedly by an
act of sabotage.

On the afternoon of 4 November, gangs of more than 100 armed youths attacked
private dailies "Le Patriote", "24 Heures", "Le Nouveau Réveil" and "Le
Libéral Nouveau", looting and destroying equipment and documents, according
to local sources and international news reports. They set fire to the
premises of "Le Patriote", "24 Heures" and "Le Libéral Nouveau", which were
badly damaged. CPJ sources said they believe the attackers were "Young
Patriots," militia loyal to President Gbagbo's Ivoirian Popular Front (FPI)
party. All four newspapers managed to evacuate staff, and no one was hurt.

Sources at "Le Patriote" said the youths arrived in two buses of the
Ivoirian public transport company and tried to break down the newspaper's
metal door. It was at this point that the staff managed to escape. Employees
at other newspapers were able to escape thanks to warnings from their
colleagues at "Le Patriote". However, staff at these newspapers say they
have received threats accusing them of supporting the rebels and opposition,
and that they fear for their safety. None of these newspapers are currently
able to publish, owing to the damage to their premises and equipment.

Also on 4 November, a number of newspapers considered sympathetic to the
opposition were banned from distribution in the government-held south,
according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) and local sources. AFP quoted a
military source as saying the move was a "restraining measure against these
pro-rebel newspapers in conjunction with movements on the ground." CPJ
sources said a government official had delivered a list of eight banned
newspapers to the distribution company Edipresse: "Le Patriote", "24
Heures", "Le Nouveau Réveil", "Le Libéral Nouveau", "Le Front", "Ivoire
Matin", "Le Journal des Journeaux" and "Le Jour Plus".

On 4 November, President Gbagbo's government launched military air strikes
on rebel positions in the north of the country, ending a ceasefire that has
been in force since 2003. Ivory Coast remains divided between the
government-controlled south and rebel-held north, despite a fragile 2003
peace deal.

Early on 4 November, unidentified elements sabotaged the FM transmitters of
international radio stations Radio France Internationale (RFI), BBC and
Africa No. 1, silencing their FM broadcasts in Abidjan. Their transmitters
are based in the same location. AFP quoted a reliable source as saying that
seven unidentified people entered the transmitter location in the Plateau
district of Abidjan at 2 a.m. (local time) on 4 November. After overwhelming
the guard, this group removed frequency modulation cards that allow the FM
broadcasts, AFP said.

This is not the first time that these transmitters have been sabotaged
during national crises. For example, the same radio stations went off the
air on 25 March at the time of a banned opposition demonstration during
which government forces killed at least 120 people, according to the United
Nations. Broadcasts resumed a few days later, but Ivoirian authorities gave
no explanation (see IFEX alerts of 31 and 29 March 2004).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to the president:
- condemning these attacks in the strongest terms, and stating that you
consider them grave violations of press freedom
- calling on him to publicly denounce violence against the press, and to do
all in his power to rein in the armed militias who carry out such attacks in
his name
- calling on his government to lift the ban on the eight private newspapers,
and to take all possible steps to ensure that journalists can carry out
their work in Ivory Coast without fear of reprisal

APPEALS TO:

President Laurent Gbagbo
La Présidence
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Fax: +225 20 32 90 77

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Africa Program Coordinator Julia Crawford
or Research Associate Adam Posluns at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY
10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail:
[email protected], Internet: http://www.cpj.org/

The information contained in this action alert update is the sole
responsibility of CPJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit CPJ.
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