In Guinea, restrictions on press freedom continue. Faced with what they consider to be a dismantling of the private media network, the associations wish to speak directly with President Mamadi Doumbouya.
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In Guineasince last year, audiovisual media and information sites have been jammed or simply suspended for reasons of “national security”, according to the transitional authorities.
The latest episode occurred last week (Wednesday April 17), with the site suspended for six months inquisitor.net decided by the High Authority for Communication (HAC) for “defamation”.
Concerned, the associations wish to contact the president directly Mamadi Doumbouya. The general secretary of the SPPG union (Union of Press Professionals of Guinea), Sékou Jamal Pendessa, recalls that 500 journalists are technically unemployed. He is at the microphone of Sidy Yansané, from the Africa editorial team. “ In addition to what we suffer, we will say it too, [Mamadi Doumbouya] has to lose in this crisis, because his popularity has been affected with the media shutdown! There are prime time shows (like that of Aboubacar Diallo, in Mirador, who no longer works today! You cannot minimize all those who recognize themselves in his work, without counting the different columnists who are in his emission.
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And, at the level of reporters, there are Guineans who are used to certain voices which are extinguished today, because these reporters are forced to stay at home… Fim FM has fired 100% of its staff, who are unemployed; the Hadafo group, 70%; Évasion, in the middle of the crisis, was at 50% and today, I don’t know how many they are. And I started a tour within the country. I went to an editorial office, for example in Joma, (and) in Boké, I was only able to meet the director and the security guard in the premises, because everyone is at home… »
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