While the world celebrates the Press Freedom Day each 3 May, Burundian journalists say working conditions go from bad to worse comparing to the past years.
Burundian journalists ask that measures for their security be strengthened
“We work with fear and expect the worse at any time,” says a journalist from a local radio station adding that Burundian journalists are going through a crucial moment and therefore must be careful about how they do their daily job.
Another local journalist says government officials should facilitate journalists’ work by giving information. “It is not easy to get sources that would give information. People fear to talk and administrative officials do not always give the information as usual,” he says. For him, there is a need to improve press freedom.
Jérôme Ndikuriyo, Managing Director of Communication at the Ministry of Communication and Media and its spokesperson, says however that there is press freedom in Burundi. “No journalist should say they didn’t have information they wanted. Their security is ensured as well. This shows that press freedom is respected in the country,” says Ndikuriyo.
In the 2018 World Press Freedom Index of the Reporters without Borders-RSF, Burundi is ranked 159th out of 180 countries while it was ranked 160th in 2017 .
Burundi government dismisses this ranking by RSF arguing that it has never been consulted to give its point of view on the press freedom in the country.
IWACU Open Data
