African presidents urged to abide by AU protocols

THE African Editors Forum (Taef) has called on African heads of state to adhere to their commitment to the African Union (AU) protocols on freedom of expression.

The appeal was made at the fifth general meeting of Taef in the Rwandan capital Kigali last week.Taef says African presidents are signatories to the AU protocols on freedom of expression but do not internalise them in their domestic legislation.The African editors have been saying since 2005 that presidents were signing AU protocols which enshrined freedom of expression, but were not adhering to them.Taef said it would continue to engage individual heads of state and also the AU Commission to hold them accountable.Re-elected Taef chairman Cheriff Sy informed the meeting that three journalist were still imprisoned in Rwanda under laws that criminalise media offences.The editor requested the Rwandan government to release the journalists.The new management committee of four people was elected and two more co-opted to strengthen the forum’s activities and to grow its membership on the continent.The management committee was urged to take up an invitation to meet the new chair of the African Union Commission.The meeting was attended by 60 editors from 34 countries.