Guinea-Bissau’s Union of Journalists and Media Technicians (Sinjotecs) on Thursday December 7 denounced an alleged expulsion of public radio and television professionals by armed men and alerted the international community to the situation.
In a statement sent to the media, Sinjotecs reports on what happened last Monday, following the decision by Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embaló to dissolve Parliament and dismiss the government.
Professionals from Radiodifusão Nacional (RDN) and Televisão da Guiné-Bissau (TGB) revealed that armed men entered the two stations and forced them to leave.
Both stations had their broadcasts suspended, although TGB resumed broadcasting a day later.
RDN staff reported that the director-general, Baio Danso, appointed by the government now in office, was informed by his predecessor in office, Mama Saliu Sane, that he was no longer in charge of the station!
Since Tuesday night, RDN sources said Saliu Sane has been in charge of the station and Baio Danso has stopped coming to the premises of Guinean public radio, whose building has armed men at the entrance.
“The union considers this action to be an affront to freedom of the press and of expression, and an attack on the safety of professionals who were just doing their job”, says the Sinjotecs statement.
The organization led by journalist Indira Correia Baldé calls on the authorities to ensure that such situations are not repeated in Guinea-Bissau, a “democratic State governed by the rule of law”.
Sinjotecs also denounces “a campaign of attacks” on professionals on social networks and calls on Guinean society and the international community to be alert to “the maneuvers” aimed at restricting freedom of the press and expression in the country.