Newspaper suspended for two months, editor in hiding

November 27, 2006
Posted December 12, 2006

Kalum Express

CENSORED

Guinea’s National Communications Council (known by its French acronym CNC) suspended the private weekly, which is based in the capital Conakry, for two months over an editorial critical of the government, according to local journalists and the Media Foundation for West Africa.

The CNC accused the paper of “damaging the reputation of the state,” in connection with an editorial accusing the government of dishonesty in its dealings with prominent businessman Mamadou Sylla, according to local journalists. The piece appeared on November 27 in its fifth edition. It said the government’s claim that Sylla owed the state $280,000 was false, and that it had misrepresented the results of an independent audit into government dealings with him, according to the same sources. Government officials deny the allegations. Managing editor Top Sylla went into hiding after police summoned him for questioning and threatened him with arrest. He has not been charged.