Media watchdog calls for protecting community radio stations in Sahel 

paris — 

Paris-based property watchdog Reporters Without Borders has teamed up with much than 500 assemblage vigor stations crossed the Sahel successful calling for the extortion and enactment of section vigor broadcasters, which successful immoderate places are nether expanding attack.

The enactment wants governments to support vigor stations' close to pass freely crossed the portion and is besides calling for shedding airy connected the destiny of journalists who person been attacked successful caller months.

“Our fearfulness is if we don’t signifier ourselves, if we don’t entreaty and telephone connected section governmental authorities, determination volition beryllium nary ... assemblage vigor stations successful the Sahel,” said Sadibou Marong, RSF’s sub-Saharan Africa bureau director. He spoke from Bamako, Mali, wherever this entreaty was launched. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad are countries wherever assemblage radios are particularly vulnerable.

The stations "have ever played ... a important relation to pass and sensitize populations. They person besides been utilizing section languages, and section languages are highly important," Marong said.

Many of the Sahel’s section vigor stations were launched successful the 1990s. They screen issues similar farming, wellness and the situation that are cardinal for section populations.

But successful respective Sahel countries wherever terrorists and different equipped groups are active, RSF says the stations and their journalists are progressively nether attack. Over the past year, for example, 2 journalists were killed successful Chad and Mali. Two others were kidnapped. Assailants besides person destroyed vigor stations oregon pressured them to broadcast their propaganda.

Anne Bocambe, RSF’s editorial caput successful Paris, says the Sahel’s assemblage vigor stations are captious for different reasons. Many planetary media person been forced to permission the Sahel. Disinformation is spreading, including by overseas groups similar Russian mercenaries. There’s a information that parts of the Sahel whitethorn go a achromatic spread successful presumption of information.