In Kenya, the murder of New Zealand photojournalist Trent Keegan remains unanswered despite the arrest of a suspect. It was alleged that Keegan was killed in a robbery on 27 May. His body was found the following day in a ditch in Nairobi. Evidence has suggested that his murder was not the result of a simple robbery. His laptop and cell phone were stolen however, his wallet was untouched. Also, an external hard drive and disks that were used for his work were not on the police search inventory.

  In Senegal, two sports journalists were brutally beaten by Senegalese police in a stadium in Dakar on 21 June. The journalists, Kara Thioune of West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) and Babacar Kambel Diang, a reporter for Radio Futurs Médias (RFM), were beaten with electronic batons. The journalists were covering a post-match press briefing.

  In Zimbabwe, seven journalists were arrested on 27 June during the run-off presidential elections. British freelance photographer Richard Judson and Zimbabwean freelance journalists Regis Marisamhuka and Agrison Manyenge were arrested and detained for two days.

Tumaole Mohlaoli and Elelewani Ramphumedzi from the privately-owned South African e.tv were also arrested and detained for one night until negotiations were made with South African police.

Freelance journalists Frank Chikowore and Edgar Mwandiambira were arrested and released at the end of the day while covering election proceedings at a primary school in a Harare suburb. They were arrested after asking the presiding officer at the polling station if they could cover the run-off using their accreditation for the 29 March elections. It was reported that the presiding officer referred them to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. On their way out of the primary school they were stopped by a police officer and arrested. President Robert Mugabe was expected to cast his vote at the primary school where the journalists were arrested.

On 2 June six-month prison sentences were also given to the three South African drivers who were arrested on 23 May for transporting equipment of a British TV broadcaster from Sky News. They were charged with violating the Broadcasting Act and for entering Zimbabwe without passports. Sky News was one of the foreign news broadcasters that were refused permission to cover the 29 March general elections.

  In Niger, the Niamey public prosecutor filed an immediate repeal against an investigating judge’s decision on 23 June to allow detained journalist Moussa Kaka to be provisionally released. Consequently, Kaka continues to be held in a Niamey prison. He has been held since 20 September for charges of “complicity in a conspiracy against the authority of the state.” The basis of the charge stemmed from a phone conversation with a leader of the Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ), known as a Tuareg rebel group.

Sources of the Alerts:
  Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
  Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
  Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA)
  Reporters Without Borders (RSF)