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IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community
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ACTION ALERT - BURKINA FASO

25 February 1997

Journalist attacked; radio station suspends broadcasting

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York

(CPJ/IFEX) - According to a 19 February 1997 report by CPJ, on 17
February, Moustapha Tambiano, president general of the Horizon-FM
radio station, was attacked by four supporters of the ruling Congress
for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party, in front of the CDP's offices
in Ouagadougou and at the United States (U.S.) Embassy. The attack
followed the airing, on 16 February, of "sharp" commentary on the
station's call-in program, "Sondage Democratique", where listeners are
invited to call in and voice their opinions on democracy in Burkina
Faso.

Tambiano, who was driving through Ouagadougou, was pulled out of
his car and attacked in front of the ruling party's offices by
unidentified party thugs. He was able to get back into his car; he
drove away while being pursued by some of the thugs and made his way
to the vicinity of the U.S. Embassy compound. Tambiano reportedly
entered embassy property, but was pursued and pulled out of the
property by the thugs, who continued to beat him as they attempted to
place him in their car. The U.S. Embassy Cultural Officer intervened
in the scuffle on Tambiano's behalf and was also attacked until the
thugs were informed that he was an embassy employee, whereupon they
retreated. Shortly thereafter, Tambiano was given refuge at a U.S.
Information Service (USIS) employee's residence, from where he was
taken by armed escort to a relative's home.

Horizon-FM suspended broadcasting on 17 February and resumed on-
air programming on 19 February with an all-music format, as
opposed to their previous format of music and commentary, because
Tambiano fears additional reprisals should he broadcast news.

Horizon-FM, the first independent radio station to broadcast in
Burkina Faso, was founded in 1987, banned the following year, and
resumed broadcasting in 1990.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:
-protesting the brutal beating of Tambiano by ruling party
supporters
-urging the prompt arrest and trial of those found responsible for
this battery

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency Blaise Compaore
President
La Presidence
BP 7031
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Mr. Marc-Christian Roch Kabore
Prime Minister
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Mr. Larba Yarga
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Kakuna Kerina (x 103) or Selam
Demeke (x 118) at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave, New York NY 10001, U.S.A.,
tel:+1 212 465 1004, fax:+1 212 465 9568, e-mail: kkerina@cpj.org,
sdemeke@cpj.org, Internet: http://www.cpj.org/.

The information contained in this action alert is the sole
responsibility of CPJ. In citing this material for broadcast or
publication, please credit CPJ.

NB: Aucune version francaise de cette alerte sera disponible.
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___________________________________________________
Bruce Girard
Agencia Informativa Pulsar
Email: bgirard@pulsar.org.ec
http://www.web.net/amarc/pulsar.html
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