Obama should raise press freedom in Africa food talks

CPJ | May 16, 2012

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His Excellency Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
White House

Via facsimile: +1 202-456-2461

Dear President Obama:

As you prepare to host the G-8 summit and discuss the security of food supplies
with leaders from Africa, we call on you to strongly consider the role of an
independent press in identifying and assessing agricultural challenges and
famine, and facilitating the national and international response to food crises.

Mr. President, as a central example, we urge you to consider
the situation in Ethiopia
. Under
the leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia has made strides in
economic growth and poverty reduction. However, Ethiopia remains one of the
foremost recipients of U.S. humanitarian assistance as the country is mired in
cycles of drought that leave millions of people vulnerable to hunger. The
government routinely downplays the extent of the crisis by denying journalists
access to sensitive areas and censoring independent news coverage. This undermines
the ability of donor nations and aid groups to raise funds and make decisions
about how best to mitigate the disaster. USAID has in the past called on the
government of Ethiopia to improve access to those affected for assessing their
needs and effectively distributing aid.

An independent press and civil society with the freedom to
operate without fear or restriction are particularly necessary in Ethiopia to
contextualize official claims about drought and food shortages, improve
transparency in aid distribution, and alleviate hunger. During the 1980s, investigative
journalists circumvented restrictions and censorship imposed by the
then-government of Mengistu Haile Mariam in order to document a deepening
famine that official statements denied altogether. As a result, millions of
lives were saved.

Furthermore, the free flow of information and open debate
could help Prime Minister Meles build national consensus and ensure that the
government’s policies are the result of broad consultation with all segments of
society. We believe such engagement would improve the impact of the
government’s new strategies to reform Ethiopia’s agricultural practices.

Mr. President, we are deeply concerned that Ethiopia’s ongoing
repression of investigative journalism fuels tensions that threaten the
country’s relative stability and risk unraveling the economic and social
progress registered in recent years. Since 2011, under the guise
of a counterterrorism sweep
, the government of Ethiopia has brought
terrorism and anti-state charges against 11 independent journalists, including
blogger Eskinder Nega
, who
may face life in prison for his writing about the struggle for democracy. Such
policies deter reporting on all sensitive topics, including food security.

We request that in launching the G-8 food security agenda,
you publicly acknowledge that poverty alleviation and inclusive growth require a
free press and encourage Prime Minister Meles to end his repressive practices.
Good governance, accountability, and adequate response to crises depend, after
all, on listening to citizen voices and independent accounts.As you and your G-8 colleagues take vital
steps towards advancing food security, we count on you to ensure that the free
flow of information is a priority.

Sincerely,

Joel Simon
Executive Director

CC:

H.E. François Hollande, President of France

H.E. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

H.E. David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

H.E. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

H.E. Mario Monti, Prime Minister of Italy

H.E. Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan

H.E. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of
Germany

H.E. Yayi Boni, President of the Republic of Benin and
Chairperson of the African Union

H.E. John Atta-Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana

H.E. Jakaya Kiketwe, President of the Republic of Tanzania

H.E. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia

Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State of the United States of
America

Michael Forman, Deputy Asst to the President and Deputy
National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs

Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, U.N. World Food
Programme

Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, President, International Fund for
Agricultural Development
Ms. Josette Sheeran, Vice Chairman, World Economic Forum

Rajiv Shah, Administrator, U.S. Agency for International
Development
Bono, Co-Founder of ONE and (RED)

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