Gabon

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 10 August 2005 CPJ press release: GABON: Media council orders independent newspaper suspended New York, August 10, 2005 – Gabon’s media regulatory council has indefinitely suspended the independent bimonthly newspaper Nku’u Le Messager over an editorial it says insulted the council, according to local news reports and the publication […]

(JED/IFEX) – On 15 June 2004, Patrick Simangoye, news director at Gabonese Radio-Television’s Channel 2 (Radiotélévision gabonaise, RTG2), a public broadcaster based in the capital, Libreville, was suspended by the station’s management at the request of Communications Minister Medhy Teale. According to information obtained by JED, the journalist is accused of “giving morality lessons” during […]

(JED/IFEX) – Alfred Ngamba, a journalist with the bi-monthly newspaper “Le Nganga”, was arrested and detained on 8 March 2004. He is currently incarcerated at the “Gros bouquet” prison in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. “Le Nganga” is published in the capital. According to “Le Nganga” editorial staff, Ngamba has been charged with libelling a medical […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 23 December 2003 letter to President Omar Bongo, CPJ called for a thorough, independent, and immediate investigation into the death of Marco Boukoukou Boussaga, editor-in-chief of the privately owned bimonthly newspaper “L’Autre journal”, based in the capital, Libreville. According to local sources, Boussaga died in Libreville on the morning of 15 […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 29 September 2003 letter to President Omar Bongo, CPJ expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in Gabon. Recently, Gabonese authorities suspended two private newspapers and renewed the suspension of a third. On 17 September, police seized the third edition of the satirical bimonthly “Sub-Version” at the airport […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced its concern about the deteriorating situation in Gabon, where the authorities continue to obstruct the publication of independent newspapers. The satirical bi-monthly “Sub-Version” was recently seized and four employees from the paper were detained at Libreville airport. The National Communications Council (Conseil national de la communication, CNC) also recently suspended […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is concerned about the recent measures taken by the National Communications Council (Conseil national de la Communication, CNC) against four private media outlets. During the week of 16 May 2003, the CNC decided to suspend the publication of two private newspapers, “Misamu” and “Le Temps”. In addition, the publications “Jeunesse Action” and […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 6 September 2002, the weeklies “Misamu” and “Gabaon” were suspended for three months by order of the National Communication Council (Conseil national de la Communication, CNC). The regulatory body has accused the two newspapers of publishing news “that undermines confidence in the state and the dignity of those responsible for the republic’s […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Minister of the Interior Mboumbou Miyakou, RSF asked for an explanation following the order given to the head of Sogapresse, a Gabonese press distributing service, to stop distributing the satirical newspaper “Le Gri-Gri International”. “The banning of ‘Le Gri-Gri International’ demonstrates yet again the authorities’ efforts against press freedom […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the state minister responsible for communications, Jean-Rémy Pendy Bouyiki, RSF requested the release of journalist Germain Lendoye in Libreville. RSF recalled that Gabon has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression. Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general, added: “Which explains why today, no […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the suspension of the “La Griffe” newspaper. According to RSF’s information, on 17 March 1999, the President of the National Communications Council (Conseil National de la Communication, CNC) announced the suspension of the satirical weekly “La Griffe” during the course of an address on Gabonese national television. He justified his […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the banning of programmes of a political nature on Radio Soleil. According to RSF’s information, the National Communications Council (Conseil national de la communication) banned the programmes of the private radio station Radio Soleil, in its decision number 002/99/CNC. The justification offered for the decision was the “the extreme character […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is expressing concern further to the jamming of Radio Soleil’s programmes. According to RSF’s information, programmes of the private station Radio Soleil, which is close to the National Assembly of Woodcutters (Rassemblement national des bûcherons, RNB, an opposition party), have been scrambled since 7:00 p.m. (local time) Monday, 7 December 1998. The […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 11 August 1998, Michel Ongoundou-Loundah, publication director for “La Griffe” newspaper, disappeared from his home. The following day he appeared in the Libreville court along with two reporters from “La Griffe”, Raphael Ntoutoume Nkoghe and Pulcherie Baumel. The three journalists were tried and convicted for criminal libel in connection with an article […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to RSF, on 20 February 1998, Radio Soleil, a private radio station, was forbidden from transmitting. The decision, by the National Communication Council, followed an editorial broadcast by Radio Soleil in which President Omar Bongo was satirized. The radio station has close ties to the National Union of Timberworkers opposition party. Without […]

In a 20 April 1995 letter, the Minister of the Interior of Gabon ordered the head of the national printing press to cease printing the newspapers “Le Bucheron” and “La Griffe”. The Minister justified his decision by explaining that “`Le Bucheron’ has reprinted information from newspapers we have explicitly banned from distribution in our territory […]