CÔTE D’IVOIRE Time to “disarm minds, pens and microphones” May 2005 Reporters Without Borders International Secrétariat Africa Desk 5, rue Geoffroy Marie 75009 Paris-France Tél. (33) 1 44 83 84 76 Fax (33) 1 45 23 11 51 Email: [email protected] Web: www.rsf.org The civil war in Côte d’Ivoire, the cause for the country’s partition since September 2002, has entered a decisive phase. A last chance for a negotiated settlement is offered by the Pretoria accord, concluded on 6 April 2005 under a UN threat of targeted sanctions and thanks to mediation by South African President Thabo Mbeki on behalf of the African Union. On 14 May, the warring parties agreed on a timetable for the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) of their combatants – the rebel forces in the north and government militias in the south. All sights are now fixed on general elections under UN control, even if the Following an investigation in the field from 7 to date currently set for the presidential election 14 May, Reporters Without Borders advocates – 30 October 2005 – seems improbable for lack a number of urgent measures as an alternative of preparations for a “free, fair and transparent” to ineffective outrage and letting the media poll. criminals go unpunished on the grounds that and microphones” “they are part of the problem and therefore The Ivorian news media have a crucial role to must be part of the solution.” Reporters play. In an unprecedented move last November, Without Borders believes the international the UN Security Council (in resolution 1572) community has a duty to come to the help of condemned Côte d’Ivoire’s “hate media” and Ivorians who, for a long time and despite all the put journalists who have openly called for dangers, have been fighting for journalism to murder or incited violence on a blacklist along be practised both freely and responsibly. As a with politicians and military alleged to have columnist in the Ivorian daily Fraternité Matin been the instigators of atrocities or identified wrote, it is time to “disarm minds, pens and as obstacles to peace. This blacklist of 95 microphones.” names was sent to the International Criminal Court in January 2005 but there was no follow- up because of a concern not to jeopardize An urgent task South Africa’s mediation. However, if the peace process is derailed again, UN sources in New The Pretoria peace accord reaffirms the “need” York say journalists would be the first targets to put an end to the print media’s excesses in for prosecution because they are “low-hanging Côte d’Ivoire and guarantee the impartiality of fruit” – the easiest to bring to trial. the state broadcast media, which are supposed to be a public service. It was envisaged that As the UN reexamines its involvement in this would include the reinstatement of the Côte d’Ivoire’s peace process with a view to governing board of the state TV broadcaster, adopting a new resolution by 5 June, Reporters Radio-Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI), which was Without Borders seizes the opportunity to call ousted along with RTI director general Kébé on the international community to take up the Yacouba by a group of “Young Patriots” linked challenge of the hate media. Strengthening to President Laurent Gbagbo on 4 November the mandate of the United Nations Operation 2004. in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and increasing the number of peacekeepers from 6,240 to around Their reinstatement became effective on 10 May 8,000 will be pointless if people continue to 2005 (while Yacouba had already gone back to whip up hate day after day in Côte d’Ivoire. work on 10 January). But a key clause about CÔTE D’IVOIRE Time to “disarm minds, pens “disarm minds, to Time the press in the Marcoussis accord, which the 2 warring parties signed in January 2003 near December, Le Courrier d’Abidjan referred to Paris, still awaits implementation. This gave the “France, a terrorist country of long standing.” A government of national reconciliation a year “to headline in Le Temps on 10 March said, “Plan reinforce the role of the regulatory authorities, to assassinate Gbagbo in all-out final assault guarantee the neutrality and impartiality of by Licorne” (1). the public service and foster the financial independence of the media.” As a result of their excesses, the Ivorian media are now so discredited they have become This task is more urgent than ever. The scapegoats for the crisis. On 3 March, the excesses of the Ivorian media were very daily L’Intelligent d’Abidjan quoted national serious in November and December, following assembly member and presidential adviser the cease-fire violation by government forces Ben Soumahoro as saying, “the real war and the “six-day war” between supporters of mongers, the real destroyers of national unity President Gbagbo and a French peacekeeping are the Ivorian journalists of all colours, without force known as the Licorne contingent. Calls exception and without distinction.” But blaming for murder were made on the air on RTI and the press alone for national divisions and the the “hunt for whites” was glorified as an act of visceral rejection of everything foreign obscures “anti-colonial resistance.” The print media did the wider problem of “Ivorianness” and, in rural not lag behind. On 23 September, Notre Voie areas, the glorification of everything “native” called the rebels “drug addicts and drinkers of (2). And it could pave the way for calls for the blood.” On 24 September, Le Temps suggested lynching of journalists as the ones “responsible that President Gbagbo could suffer the same for the war,” as a listener identifying himself fate as Rwanda’s president whose plane was as Lago Lazare proposed in the interactive shot down in 1994 “by neo-colonialists, with programme, “Current Issues,” on Radio Côte the result we all know today, with the country d’Ivoire on 4 May 2005. The Press Freedom, torn apart, killing fields and genocide.” Ethics and Conduct Watchdog (OLPED), which has been monitoring the Ivorian media since On 11 October, Le National Plus said of 1995, “roundly condemned” such comments President Blaise Compaoré in neighbouring and warned that they could have “unforeseeable Burkina Faso: “The Ivorian government’s consequences.” special services must urgently cut short the political adventurism of this bad president, It is not just foreigners who have been voicing and microphones” who has put on seven-league boots for the outrage about the Ivorian media’s excesses. French, the ones who put him up to it.” The People have been speaking out for a long time same issue had a report about the deputy inside the country. Over the past 10 years, rebel leader Louis-André Dakoury Tabley that OLPED has issued more than 6,000 official was headlined, “He raped his victim’s wives.” warnings to journalists or newspapers for It said: “It is reported that, as the victims’ violating basic rules of conduct – an average of throats were being cut by the lawless rebels, 10 at every weekly meeting. But in the absence he took a malicious pleasure in having his way of courts capable of sanctioning press offences, with their wives.” On 15 October, Le Temps these warnings have no effect, like the many wrote: “Chirac therefore decided to make war warnings coming from abroad. A study showed against us and for more than two years has that in single year, 2000, the daily Notre Voie maintained a horde of bloodthirsty rapists and published 52 articles, which “in a law-abiding bank-robbers to hold us back in hour struggle democracy would have been punishable in the against poverty.” courts for inciting racial hatred” (3). On 17 November, Notre Voie described Africa’s But is there any hope of the hate media presidents as “Chirac’s accomplices in his being brought to justice in a country in which diabolical work.” It said: “These presidents have thousands of civilians have been the victims decided to support the rebels. But does that of political violence without any judicial mean they must forget that several thousands response and even the worst massacres and of their citizens have always received board “death squad” atrocities in Abidjan have gone and lodging from Côte d’Ivoire and are the unpunished nationally and internationally? ones who enable their own countries to survive Despite all the public condemnation of political thanks to the funds they repatriate with nothing violence in UN resolutions and the reports being asked in return. Have they forgotten that of various commissions of enquiry, only two if Côte d’Ivoire really has its back to the wall, it cases of killings have been prosecuted – the could repatriate those thousands of foreigners? Yopougon massacre in which the case was Have they really forgotten that Côte d’Ivoire finally dismissed and the October 2003 murder is the locomotive of this region and that, if it of French journalist Jean Hélène for which breaks down, it could deprive them of their an Ivorian policeman got a 17-year prison own meagre means of subsistence?” On 7 sentence. CÔTE D’IVOIRE Time to “disarm minds, pens “disarm minds, to Time 3 copies for recycling. (6). Broadly speaking, one can classify the Ivorian Dependence on newspapers into three categories: the “blue- “those who give orders” tops” (blue being the preferred colour of the pro- Gbagbo newspapers), the “G7 newspapers” A realistic strategy for emerging from the (named after the group of opposition parties), vicious circle of impunity or at least stemming and the “two-faced” newspapers, so-called the worse press offences can only hope to find because of their fluctuating political loyalties some support from the press as it exists, not or, to put it more positively, their respect for a as one would like it to be, especially in the light degree of diversity of opinion.