Mozambique: CPJ demands retraction of threats against journalists | APAnews

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for an immediate retraction of statements made by senior Mozambican officials accusing journalists of colluding with terrorists operating in Cabo Delgado province.

The allegations, which surfaced during public addresses, have raised concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists covering the insurgency in the region.

In one of the incidents, Cabo Delgado governor Valige Tauabo publicly accused unnamed journalists and media outlets on February 17 of striking “deals” and “being in sync” with terrorists.

He further claimed that journalists’ views had been “formatted by terrorists,” resulting in an “imprint of evil” in their coverage of the region.

Another senior official, Sidónio José who is administrator of Quissanga district in Cabo Delgado, accused unnamed journalists on February 16 of “fabricating false news about terrorism,” according to the privately owned Integrity Magazine and the Mozambican chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa.

According to the reports, José claimed that the “fake news” was traumatising communities.

The comments by Tauabo and José drew sharp criticism from CPJ, with the media rights group’s head of Africa programmes Muthoki Mumo expressing alarm at the officials’ statements.

“It is alarming that officials in Cabo Delgado are issuing threats against the media and making inflammatory comments about journalists who already face high levels of risk covering the insurgency in Cabo Delgado,” Mumo said on Thursday from Nairobi.

He added: “Cabo Delgado governor Valige Tauabo and Quissanga district administrator Sidónio José must withdraw their comments accusing journalists of colluding with terrorists and fabricating the news.”

He said instead of intimidating journalists, the authorities “should support the journalism that Mozambicans need to make crucial decisions about their lives.”

Local journalists have highlighted several challenges they are facing in covering the conflict in Cabo Delgado, where the Mozambican government has – with support from troops from the Southern African Development Community regional bloc and Rwanda – been fight an insurgency by Islamic State-linked militia.

Some of the challenges faced by journalists include lack of timely responses from authorities to journalistic queries about the conflict and attacks by security forces.

JN/APA