Guinea-Bissau

RTP África and RDP África disrupted just days after government accuses media outlets of downplaying Guinea-Bissau’s diplomatic achievements.

The MFWA and media rights group in Guinea-Bissau express their serious concern over crippling licence fees, which will not only obliterate the broadcasting sector but will also undermine citizens’ right to information

Prevalence of sexual harassment in newsrooms across Guinea-Bissau harmful to media women’s mental and physical well-being.

Capital FM, a popular radio station in Guinea-Bissau, survived two armed attacks but is grappling to stay on air following the exorbitant hike in broadcasting fees imposed by the country’s regulator.

The hefty regulatory fees announced by the government towards the end of last year have the potential of decimating Guinea-Bissau’s already fragile media sector.

A piece carried by ‘Rádio Galáxia de Pindjiguiti’ on the disappearance of a large amount of drugs seized during an operation leads to police search for Tiano Badjana, the station’s acting director, which forces him to go into hiding.

In the last 5 months, around 133 broadcasters in Nigeria, Ghana and Guinea-Bissau have been taken off air, resulting from orders from authorities or due to non-payment of exorbitant license fees.

A newly launched project seeks to strengthen the capacity of media actors in Guinea-Bissau to monitor and document violations of media and freedom of expression rights.

Over the course of the last 5 months eight media houses in four countries have been attacked, in instances where 13 journalists and media workers have been assaulted and equipment destroyed.

Following mediation by MFWA and its local Guinea-Bissau partners, 77 of the 79 radio stations shut down earlier in the month by authorities, were allowed to resume broadcasting.

Together with their partners in Guinea-Bissau, the Media Foundation for West Africa engaged authorities to consider a negotiated payment plan for the radio stations forcibly taken off air.

Guinea-Bissau plunged into information blackout after 79 radio stations are shut down by government for not meeting an impossible deadline to renew licenses.

Several members of IFEX have joined rights-based organisations in petitioning Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló to improve the media freedom landscape, and thoroughly investigate serious media rights violations and ensure the prosecution of the perpetrators.

Guinea-Bissau journalist Maimuna Bari is currently in a coma, after sustaining spinal injuries following an attack on Rádio Capital FM by men in military uniform.