Buea, October 12, 2009

HE Issa Tchiroma

Minister of Communication

Yaounde, Cameroon

Your Excellency

Re: The use of ban to sanction media deficiencies

Global Conscience Initiative through its Media Watch Project come to you

with humility to discuss your recent decisions to close down two radio

stations in Cameroon in the past few months. We understand that you plan to

close more radio and TV stations "operating illegally" in Cameroon in the

days ahead, and we have strong reservations that this negatively affects

Cameroon's democratic advancement.

Freedom of the media is one of the most fundamental of human rights; the

threshold for the attainment of many other human rights, and it is

guaranteed in the Cameroon constitution and in many international human

rights agreements to which Cameroon is a state party having duly ratified

them.

His Excellency has stated that your decisions to close these radio stations

stems from beyond their irregular registration status to their unethical and

unprofessional management of media content, resulting in various abuses and

likely incitement of outbursts.

GCI and the Media Watch Project fully agree with Your Excellency that

irresponsible media practice has provoked and incited unimaginable levels of

violence as observed in Rwanda and other parts of the African continent. We

therefore agree and support Your Excellency's position that for the media to

achieve its mission of promoting peace, development and democracy, media

practitioners must be dexterous and respect the ethics of the vocation.

We are aware and appreciate His Excellency's initiatives to call to order

the authorities of Sky one radio prior to the decision to close the station.

We are sure you have made similar moves towards other TV and Radio stations

with varying degrees of success. This initiative on dialoguing on sensitive

and ethical issues in the media is obviously the best advised for the

promotion and protection of free expression and freedom of the media. GCI

and the Media Watch Project is clearly aware of abuse of free speech in the

Cameroon media and agree that it a serious issue foe consideration as it

verily threatens public tranquility.

GCI would however appeal to Excellency to explore alternative ways of

ensuring greater responsibility in the media. Outright closure of media

outfits, besides compromising a fundamental right, raises very many other

human rights issues as the right to a source of livelihood, education of the

child, standard of living, etc. It is in considering these other affected

human rights that we make this appeal to Your Excellency.

Your Excellency, GCI agrees that, at the extreme, closure of a media outfit,

could be a solution to a threat of the peace but positions that such

decisions should be the reserve of state institutions mandated in that

regard.

In the recent months, the GCI Media Watch Project has been conducting a

survey of the English Media in Cameroon and we could confidently say that

the media in Cameroon has a really long way to go to meet professional

standards. It is our fervent desire therefore that Your Excellency would

take interest in initiatives aimed at professionalizing the Cameroon media

support them.

We sincerely pray his Excellency will appreciate this communication as our

honest appeal to a fruitful dialogue in advancing the media and freedom of

expression in Cameroon. GCI also assures His Excellency of our desire and

readiness to contribute in finding lasting solutions to Cameroon's media

deficiencies.

We appreciate Your Excellency's time for considering this letter and would

appreciate any response.

Respectfully yours

Samba Churchill

Founder/CEO, Global Conscience Initiative

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