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International Freedom of Expression eXchange Clearing House
________________________________________________________________
Date: 24 June 1994

RWANDA: RSF refuses French government assistance for its
humanitarian radio project

Originator: Reporters sans frontieres (RSF, Montpellier)


In order to dispel any mistaken notions about its establishment
of a humanitarian radio project in Rwanda, Reporters sans
frontieres, an international freedom of expression organisation,
has decided to refuse French government financial participation
in the project. This participation, solicited three weeks ago by
the French section of RSF, had just been confirmed.

The decision to send French troops to Rwanda has complicated the
establishment of the project and its viability on the ground. A
team of Swiss journalists, who have been in Burundi since 19 June
1994 working to set this radio station up, was able to measure
the immediate difficulties this intervention has created: all
material destined for the station's establishment is impounded by
Burundi military authorities at the Bujumbura airport.

This independent radio station will be at the service of
humanitarian organisations who work on the ground so that they
will be able to provide to the population vital information on
the distribution of food and medicine, on disease prevention, on
possibilities for relocation, etc. It responds to a crucial
absence in a country where information has become a question of
life and death, and its role is not to position itself in
relation to other Rwandan media. It is to be solely at the
service of humanitarian organisations; that is, to the men, women
and children of Rwanda. Reporters sans frontieres will soon
launch an international campaign to mobilise public opinion so
that the radio will be able to carry out its work as long as it
is needed.




For more information please contact the RSF "Une radio pour le
Rwanda" project at Berne, tel. 41 31 350 92 22 (Francois Gross)
or at Lausanne, tel. 41 21 318 11 11 (Jean-Marie Etter).



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