Pluralistic African Press,

'HFODUHWKDW

Observe that despite numerous
opportunities for a free press to emerge
from national independence, fullyfledged press freedom still does not
exist in many African countries and that
murder, imprisonment, torture, banning,
censorship and legislative edict are the
norm in many countries,

African
states
must
recognise
the indivisibility of press freedom
and their responsibility to respect
their commitments to African and
international protocols upholding the
freedom, independence and safety of
the press, and

Recognise that these crude forms of
repression are bolstered by the deliberate
exclusion of certain newspapers from
state-advertising placement, the burden
of high import taxes on equipment and
newsprint and unfair competition from
state-owned media,
Note that despite the adoption of press
freedom protocols and the repression of
that freedom on a wide scale in Africa,
the African Union in instituting its
African Peer Review Mechanism under
the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s
Development) programme has excluded
the fostering of a free and independent
press as a key requirement in the
assessment of good governance in the
countries of the continent, and

To further that aim by, as a matter
of urgency, abolishing ``insult’’ and
criminal defamation laws which in the
five months of this year have caused the
harassment, arrest and/or imprisonment
of 229 editors, reporters, broadcasters
and online journalists in 27 African
countries (as outlined in the annexure to
this declaration),
Call on African governments as a matter
of urgency to review and abolish all
other laws that restrict press freedom,
Call on African governments that have
jailed journalists for their professional
activities to free them immediately and
to allow the return to their countries of
journalists who have been forced into
exile,

Identify as the greatest scourge of press
freedom on the continent the continued
implementation of “insult laws,” which
outlaw criticism of politicians and those
in authority, and criminal defamation
legislation, both of which are used
indiscriminately in the vast majority of
African states that maintain them and
which have as their prime motive the
``locking up of information’’,

Condemn all forms of repression of
African media that allows for banning
of newspapers and the use of other
devices such as levying import duties
on newsprint and printing materials and
withholding advertising,



6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\"

Call on African states to promote the
highest standards of press freedom in
furtherance of the principles proclaimed




Select target paragraph3