Niger
Journalist held without reason givenPosted Oct 20 2007
Moussa Kaka, director of privately owned Radio Saraouniya and Niger correspondent of Radio France Internationale was arrested on Sept. 20 and is being held in Niamey at the police headquarters.
According to Reporters Without Borders, Kaka was arrested at his radio station in Niamey and police searched his home, taking a copy of a report he had sent to RFI. Authorities have not disclosed why he was arrested or why he hasn’t been released.
Kaka’s station has provided coverage about the deadly attacks on military bases in the north by Tuareg rebels, a group affiliated with the Niger People’s Movement for Justice, and interviewed Agali Alambo, one of it top leaders. Kaka received public threats from army chief of staff General Moumouni Boureima in July and RFI’s local FM broadcasts were suspended for a month.
RFI president denounced the acts taken against Kaka by the Nigerian authorities, stating that by questioning the right journalists have to inform, undermines the freedom of the press. RFI argues that statements from the Nigerian authorities against RFI coverage of the ongoing conflict in the north are completely unfounded and RFI has done it’s best to remain objective and report the facts.