Reports
Federation of African Journalists (FAJ)
The statutory congress creating formally the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), was held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 21 to 22 November, 2008. This congress was the follow up of Rabat (Morocco) conference in September 2006 and the Abuja (Nigeria) conference in November 2007 which launched the FAJ. In addition to the adoption of the constitution and regulations, a management committee of seven (7) members was elected for 3 years and a two years work plan was validated.
In its constitution, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) supports and encompasses in its network:
- The West African Journalists Association, WAJA
- The Southern African Journalists Association of the Journalists, SAJA
- The Eastern African Journalists Association, EAJA
- The Associations of Media Professionals Unions of Central Africa, USYPAC
- The Network of North Africa Journalists.
The FAJ shall also address freedom of expression, social and professional issues affecting journalists, under the umbrella and with the implication of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The FAJ is the African regional group of the IFJ.
It will act for these missions:
- to campaign for the rights of the journalists and to set the minimum standards for labour regulations in the media sector in Africa and to promote social dialogue in the industry with the objective to improve working conditions of journalists and other media workers;
- to defend freedom of expression, and the professional independence of journalists and to vigorously campaign for press freedom in Africa, if necessary in partnership with governments and other civil society organizations in relation with the pluralism in the media and independence from any form of political or economic interference;
- to coordinate actions to improve safety of journalists and to work with all international organizations to face impunity and to build a culture of safety in journalism;
- to ensure that the voice of journalists is heard in all the debates on the defense of press freedom and the rights of the journalists in Africa, by requiring the observer status at the African Union and its structures and the recognition of the United Nations;
- to campaign to ensure the role of the media and journalists in the socio-economic development programs and on the reduction of poverty in Africa and for media development;
- to develop an exhaustive work program, including the establishment of an Africa Solidarity Fund of the IFJ to reinforce the national trade-unions in their activities and defend the rights of journalists;
- to improve the communication and coordination between the national and regional organizations of journalists.
- to point out problems affecting African journalists, to inform and equip leaders of trade unions on opportunities and ways of playing their part in defending journalists and other media workers in strengthening democracy in Africa.
CONTACTS OF STEERING COMMITEE
1. M. Omar Faruk Osman Nur, President of FAJ, (Somalia/EAJA)
General Secretary of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
General Secretary of Eastern African Journalists Association EAJA, based in Djibouti.
Contacts:
Djibouti: EAJA Secretariat
B.P. 4099, Djibouti; Republic of Djibouti
Tel: +253 35 70 38;
E-mail: eaja@intnet.dj
Somalia: NUSOJ Office
1st floor, Human Rights House, Talex Street, KM4 Area, Hodnan District, Mogadishu, Somalia, Tel: + 252 1 85 99 44
+ 252 1 65 99 44 // + 252 1 58 32 82
Email: faruk129@yahoo.com , omar@nusoj.org
2. Foster Dongozi, Vice-President, (Zimbabwe)
General Secretary of Zimbabwean Union of Journalists (ZUJ)
General Secretary of Southern African Journalists Association, SAJA
Contacts : 5th Floor Coal House
17 Mandela Ave P.O. Box 66070, Kopje
Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel : +263 (0) 4 781 032 // +263 (0) 4 773934
Fax : +263 (0) 4 752 831 // 781578
fosterdongozi@yahoo.com ou fdongozi@hotmail.com
3. Ms. Ndey Tapha Sosseh, (Gambia), Honorary Treasurer
President of Gambia Press Union, GPU
Contacts: Gambia Press Union (GPU),
P.O. Box 1440, 78 Mosque road, Serekunda, Banjul, The Gambia
Tel/fax: +220 437 70 20 Email: gpu@qanet.gm ou ntsosseh@yahoo.com
4. Zied El-Heni, (Tunisie)
Tunisia National Journalists Union, SNJT.
Contacts : Syndicat National des Journalistes Tunisiens,
14 Avenue des Etats-Unis d’Amérique, Tunis 1002, Tunisie
Tel: + 216 98434609
Email: zied.elheni1@gmail.com
5. Mohammed Garba, (Nigeria)
President of National Union of Journalists (NUJ),
President of West African Journalists Association, WAJA.
Contacts :
Victory Plaza, Gimbiya Street
Area 11, Garki,
P. O. Box 4350,
Garki Abuja FCT, Nigeria
Phone: +234 9 3143016
Telefax: +234 9 3143017
Mail : president@nujnig.org ou mohgar@yahoo.com
WWW: http://www.nujnigeria.org
6. Stanis Nkundiye, (RDC)
M. Stanis Nkundiye General Secretary of the Syndicat National des Professionnels de la Presse (SNPP) and President of the Union des Syndicats de Presse d'Afrique Centrale (USYPAC).
Contacts :
Local 106, 1er niveau Immeuble sis avenue Doruma A/12, Matonge,
Commune de Kalamu,
B.P. 6273 Kinshasa 6, RDCongo
Cell: +243 - 81 504 70 42
Email: snppcongo@yahoo.fr, snkundiye@yahoo.fr
7. Stephen Bwire Ouma, (Ouganda)
General Secretary of Uganda Journalistes Union (UJU)
Contacts: Uganda Journalists Union (UJU),
Parliament Ave, IPS Building, 1st Floor Annex, P.O. Box 26650, Kampala, Uganda
Tel : + 256 41 232 770 /1/2 ; Fax : +256 41 345 597
oumabwire@yahoo.com , oumastephen@hotmail.com