20100124
africanews

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged the Africa Union to protect the continent's press freedom.
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The organization named Somalia, Eritrea, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gambia as the most worst countries for Africa journalists to work during 2009.

Somalia alone recored nine deaths of journalists by unknown gunmen while 19 other journalists are still held incommunicado in Eritrea jails, for their professional work, IFJ said.

The agency has urged the AU to take collective efforts to save journalists in the continent as to protect the Africa press freedom.

Speaking to Reuters in Addis Ababa, Aidan White, secretary general of the IFJ, said "This report outlines in clear, bold terms the scale of the crisis that faces journalists across the continent".

"The report intends to inform and sensitize African Governments, decision makers, and especially the African Union to prioritize press freedom and freedom of expression as a key component for good governance democracy and national development," the IFJ report stated.

White said that Africa Union needs to show that its members are committed to press freedom. "They're not now. The situation in Africa is intolerable", he added.