GUINEAN GOVERNMENT TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS LOCAL NEWSPAPER

UNCLAS CONAKRY 001196 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM GV SUBJECT: GUINEAN GOVERNMENT TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS LOCAL NEWSPAPER ¶1. (SBU) According to an October 30 local radio report, the Guinean National Council on Communication (CNC) suspended operation of the La Nouvelle newspaper for a period of one month. The suspension went into effect October 29 and ends November 29. The newspaper's publisher, Mr. Moussa Iboun Conte, was reportedly charged with having published a declaration issued by some soldiers protesting unpaid back wages in his October 10 edition. In the declaration, the soldiers said they would take to the streets and demonstrate if they were not paid soon. The CNC reportedly claimed that the published declaration could have negatively affected soldiers' morale, thereby inciting them to violence that could lead to further civil unrest. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT. Although La Nouvelle is an independent publication, all newspapers depend on the CNC for an annual stipend of about $100,000, which is divided among qualifying press organizations. The Guinean press is generally free to criticize the government, but occasional incidents such as this one suggest that there are certain undefined limitations. It is not always clear where the line is drawn, but CNC press suppressions generally result from reporting on specific government officials that the CNC feels are libelous or reports that allegedly stir up social unrest. END COMMENT. CARTER