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| Members of the press with President Kagame. Media regulations have been loosened in Rwanda but journalists say self-censorship is still prevalent. (Reuters/Munyarubuga Fed/Presidential Press Unit/Handout) |
Twenty years after massacres,
Rwanda stable but its media restricted.
New York, December 8, 2014-The
Rwandan government has taken great strides in bringing stability to the country
since the 1994 genocide that claimed 800,000 lives, but moves to allow greater
press freedom have been slow, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in a report released today.
While
government control of the media has loosened, many journalists remain fearful
that regulations put in place to protect the media are not enough to stop the
harassment and threats, and that a lack of investment is damaging their
professional reputation.
"An
independent, critical press has a vital role to play in promoting development
in Rwanda," said Sue Valentine, CPJ Africa Program Coordinator.
"While we are acutely aware of the role of certain media during the
horrors of 1994, Rwanda's remarkable progress in rebuilding itself must include
nurturing a culture of freedom of expression. Journalists must be free to ask
critical questions, tell uncomfortable truths, and facilitate an exchange of
views in order to deepen democracy and ensure durable development."
The
report, written by Anton Harber, chairman of the Freedom of
Expression Institute in South Africa and former co-editor of a leading
anti-apartheid newspaper,
examines the effect of the genocide on media regulation, the ensuing legal
reforms, and the rising trend of self-censorship in the Rwandan media. The
report also highlights off-limits topics, such as criticism of President Paul
Kagame or Rwanda's military activity in neighboring Democratic Republic of
Congo, and identifies the importance of investing in media and investigative
journalism.
In
the report's recommendations, CPJ presses the
Rwandan government to investigate and prosecute attacks on journalists, and
calls on the European Union to make press freedom a pillar of human rights, and
the international community to continue to support professional media
development in Rwanda.
CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that
works to safeguard press freedom worldwide
Note to editors:
The
report is available in English and French. On December 10, 2014, a CPJ delegation will present
the findings of the report at an event in Brussels.
CPJ is an
independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom
worldwide.
Media contacts:
Advocacy Officer
Samantha Libby
Communications
Associate
Tel. +1 212-300-9032
E-mail: slibby@cpj.org
Sue Valentine
Africa Program
Coordinator
Peter Nkanga
West Africa
Representative
Email: pnkanga@cpj.org
Tom Rhodes
East Africa
Representative
Email: trhodes@cpj.org
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