Living with Fear

By Anonymous

Anguish. Uncertainty. Fear. These are the constant companions of an immigrant journalist from the Great Lakes region of Africa. This whole region is threatened by ethnic wars on one side and, by armed struggles between rebel factions and the military juntas that currently hold the reins of power, on the other. No one can deny that freedom of speech is all but dead in the so-called developing countries of the region, but the situation is even worse in countries where the leaders wear uniforms.
The leaders of nations in the Great Lakes region believe that the media and its journalists have the power and influence to carry the crowd. So, they have labeled the media "Public Enemy No. 1." They spare no efforts to harass any journalist who does not espouse the antidemocratic ideology and who tries to respect his or her professional code of ethics.
Rendered silent in their homeland by the fear of persecution, a great many African journalists find they can breathe a little more easily when they travel outside their country. It is sadly ironic that what brings a feeling of freedom to some brings only anguish to others, as it does for one journalist who dares not talk about what he went through at home, nor about the fate that awaits his colleagues throughout the long period of war which continues to tear his homeland apart.
What can be more frustrating than to be deprived of one's freedom of thought and freedom of speech? Fearful of the serious consequences that are in store for anyone who stands up to his country's decision-makers, the victim cloaks him or herself in anonymity and sacrifices an entire career to a family feud that shows no signs of abating.
What can we do? It is not for the organizations who defend the freedom of speech to act in the place of justice. Nevertheless, we should endeavour to establish ways in which immigrant journalists can express themselves freely and without fear. We may then be able to put an end to the seemingly endless violations in this part of our world.

Reprinted, with permission, from the CCPJ Reporter, Issue No. 1, 1998. The author has requested that his identity be kept secret for reasons of personal and family safety.

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