Attacks on the Press in 2007 - Snapshots: Central African Republic
Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
Publication Date | February 2008 |
Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Attacks on the Press in 2007 - Snapshots: Central African Republic, February 2008, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/47c567852.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In March, the official High Communication Council suspended for one month the private weekly Le Centrafriqu'Un in connection with an article critical of neighboring Chad, a close ally of the government in the deadly unrest spilling over from Darfur. The article outlined alleged human rights abuses by Chadian troops.
Michel Alkhaly Ngady, president of the country's private publishers group (known by its French acronym, GEPPIC), was jailed for two months after issuing public statements challenging the High Communication Council's authority to suspend Le Centrafriqu'Un. Ngady was convicted in April of resisting public authorities and showing contempt for the law. In August, the Supreme Court dismissed a suit filed by GEPPIC alleging that two presidential appointees to the council lacked the professional experience required by the agency's own bylaws.