Francophone newspapers against impunity

‘Presse et Democratie’, a media watchdog linking 35 French-language newspapers in African countries, has launched a campaign to press Burkina Faso’s judiciary into lifting the impunity which, it says, is being enjoyed by the presumed killers of journalist Norbert Zongo. Participating papers have agreed to publish full-page advertisements to express their position on the issue. Zongo, editor of the weekly ‘L’Independant’, was found dead in his car on 13 December 1998 in Sapouy, 100 km south of the capital, Ouagadougou. He had been investigating the death of David Ouedraogo, driver of Francois Compaore, the younger brother of Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore. His death led to a series of social upheavals in the country. “Today it is impossible to keep Blaise and Francois Compaore away from the inquiry on the assassins of Norbert Zongo”, the organisation said in a statement released on Thursday. ‘Presse et Democratie’ is an electronic media organisation which campaigns for press freedom. It is represented in 19 French-speaking countries and is supported by Reporters sans Frontieres, an international media watchdog based in Paris.