In Ghana, Saikou Ceesay, a reporter with the Banjul-based opposition Foroyaa was arrested and detained overnight at a police station in the Kombo province on 15 June. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) reported that Ceesay was arrested while investigating the arrest and detention of managing director Dida Halake of the pro-government Daily Observer, who has since been granted bail. He was reported to have been harassed and insulted while in detention.

  In Zimbabwe, three Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe (MMPZ) employees were released from detention on 11 June. Abel Chikomo, Maureen Kademaunga and Abel Kaingidza were arrested and detained for three nights by Binga Police in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North province before their release. They were accused of holding a public meeting without prior clearance.

  In Malawi, former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Bazuka Mhango who is also a Member of Parliament warned the media on 10 June to not report on allegations that were brought against him by fellow parliamentarian Ibrahim Matola. Matola, an opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) legislator, alleged during deliberations on the 2008/09 national budget that Mhango had suspiciously received over MK42 million (approx. US$310,000) from the government. Mhango is reported to have said that Parliamentary privilege does not extend to the media.

  In Algeria, the government withdrew the press accreditations of the AFP bureau chief and the Reuters correspondent after reporting on terrorist activity. The authorities accused AFP of exaggerating the casualty tally of two bombings in Béni Amrane, a town 50 km east of Algiers, on 10 June. Reuters was accused of reporting a bombing that did not take place. However, both news agencies reported directly from the interior ministry. Also on 16 June a court fined the daily Liberté’s publisher, editor and one of its cartoonists for defamation stemming from a cartoon that was published in July 2004 of the Lt. Gen. Mohamed Lamari retiring from his position of Chief of Staff of the Algerian army.

  In Mauritania, Mohamed Nema Oumar, the publisher of the privately-owned, Arabic-language weekly Al-Houriya, was released on the evening of 13 June after being held for 30 hours in a police station in Nouakchott. The journalist is being charged with “libel and insult” and has been ordered to report to the police twice weekly, as his trial is pending. His passport has also been confiscated and he is banned from leaving the country for two months.

  In Morocco, Hassan Rachidi, the head of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Morocco, has been charged with broadcasting false information relating to protests that took place early June in the southwestern Moroccan port of Sidi Ifni. Rachidi is being accused of disseminating false information and conspiracy. His trial will be held on 1 July in Rabat.

In the meantime, the communication ministry has withdrawn Rachidi’s Moroccan accreditation. Last May, the Moroccan government stopped Al Jazeera from broadcasting a daily news programme that covered countries in and around North Africa.

Sources for the Alerts:
  Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
  Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA)
  Arab Press Network (APN)
  Al-Jazeera
  Reporters without borders (RSF)