Chad

When Chad proclaimed independence on August 11, 1960, I was still attending primary school and had never heard of journalism. I listened only to music on the radio. But there was euphoria everywhere in Sarh, south of Chad where I lived, and we sang and danced to the frenzied rhythm of “independence tcha tcha tcha” by Congolese musician Joseph Kabassélé, aka Kallé. 

Your Excellencies: As you gather in Paris for festivities that celebrate your nations’ 50 years of independence, we, the undersigned African press freedom advocates petition for your public commitment to a free, vibrant, and self-sustaining press as a cornerstone of the development of francophone Africa in the next five decades.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister, We are heartened by your recent statements in support of a private, independent press, and we now urge you to further your commitment by pushing for the repeal of Presidential Decree 5.

New York, March 21, 2008--The Chadian government effectively forced the country's only permanent foreign correspondent to leave the country on Thursday after withdrawing her work permit without explanation, according to news reports.

Sonia Rolley, a journalist reporting for several France-based media outlets, including Radio France Internationale (RFI), Agence France-Presse (AFP), French daily Libération and international television news channel France 24, left the capital N'Djamena after authorities notified RFI on Tuesday that her work permit had been pulled, Rolley told CPJ from Paris today.

Dear Mr. President, We are writing to express our alarm about the increasing restrictions against Chad's once-vibrant independent media, particularly following the deadly rebel assault on the capital, N'djamena, in early February.

New York, 17 janvier 2008--La police de la capitale tchadienne, N'djamena,  a fermé mercredi par la force une station de radio et a arrêté son directeur sur des allégations de diffamation, suite à la diffusion d'un communiqué de presse d'une association qui milite pour la défense des consommateurs, selon les journalistes locaux et les médias.

New York, January 17, 2008—Police in the Chadian capital, N'djamena, forced a radio station launched by local human rights activists off the air on Wednesday and detained its director on allegations of defamation over the broadcast of a press release by a consumer advocacy group, according to local journalists and news reports.

The studios of FM Liberté remained sealed under police guard today and Station Director Djekourninga Kaoutar Lazare was expected to spend a second consecutive night in custody, according to local journalists.