The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the Niger government’s closure of its Press House over accusations of mismanagement and colluding with “groups with secret plans.”

“This is a shameful attempt by the government to blackmail the media who have been fighting to stay independent,” said Gabriel Baglo, the Director of the IFJ Africa Office. “We condemn this decision and call for its unconditional reopening and the guarantee that members of the press house and the media will be allowed to work freely.”

On July 1, the Niger Minister of Communication Mohamed Ben Omar published a press release announcing the closure until further notice of the press house located in Niamey, the capital city. The statement said that the decision arose from mismanagement of the institution and the fact that the “press house is more and more the hostage of certain groups with secret plan.” In his statement the Minister made no mention of interference by French or American donors but did cite them when he gathered media leaders in his office the day before.    

In 2007 the government gave a building to the Press House, which is an independent association run by a dozen media associations. The institution’s “management is not linked to the government nor the Communication Minister,” the Press House members said in a joint statement.

The statement also said that there is a regular briefing to the Board, the General Assembly and the Executive Committee of the House and no mismanagement has been noticed. The media associations also said that the grants received from foreign partners as well as from the government do not make them hostage of any group.

They said the Press House is not dissolved and will continue its activities despite the seizure of the building.

The IFJ extends its solidarity to the Niger media community, which has been repressed by the government since the outburst of a rebellion in the North in 2007.
Moussa Kaka, correspondent for Radio France International and director of privately-owned Radio Saraouniya, was arrested on 20 September 2007 by police officers on suspicion of aiding the rebels and has been held since then.

The IFJ renews its call for the release of Kaka and says the charges against him are baseless.

For more information contact the IFJ at + 221 33 842 01 43
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 122 countries worldwide