Government slaps seven-day suspension on radio

The Burundian government on Saturday imposed a seven-day suspension on broadcasts by a privately-owned radio station after it aired an interview with the spokesman of a rebel group, the Burundi news agency, Net Press, reported. Communications Minister Albert Mbonerane signed the order suspending broadcasts by Radio Isanganiro. Net Press reported that Mbonerane, who is also the government spokesman, accused Radio Isanganiro of broadcasting on Saturday "remarks likely to undermine the authority of the government, and of a nature that could be detrimental to national unity and injurious to the honour of the nation's most senior authorities". Radio Isanganiro "has contravened, in bad faith, the government's ban on all interviews with the spokesperson of the Agathon Rwasa-led FNL [Forces nationales de liberation] faction that has, to date, refused to negotiate with the government," Net Press quoted Mbonerane as saying. He said the suspension was adequate "to bring the owners of the radio station to rethink their position", as well as serving as a threat to take stronger measures in the event that the offence is repeated. The suspension order was issued after the radio interviewed Rwasa's spokesman in its "Mosaique" programme, commenting on the failure of recent talks in Kampala between President Domitien Ndayizeye and the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Forces pour la defense de la democratie faction led by Pierre Nkurunziza. Radio Publique Africaine on Sunday quoted Radio Isanganiro Director Janine Nahikombe as saying that they would obey the suspension order. "One should not enter into conflict with the government or the communications minister. They have given us an order and we are going to obey it," Nahikombe was quoted as saying.