Burundi: the vice-president acknowledges the mistrust between the public authorities and the media

Prosper Bazombanza said this Thursday on the sidelines of the Estates General on the press. He regretted that the profession of journalist is under threats of amateurism. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Representatives of government, civil society, political parties, UN agencies, embassies and the media are meeting for two days in the political capital Gitega.

It was the Vice President Prosper Bazombanza who opened the event. He acknowledged that there is mistrust between government and the media.

“The work of the media has had its ups and downs over the past six years, we really have to accept it,” said Prosper Bazombanza, calling into question “certain media which have turned squarely into battles for the conquest of power and in the least democratic way”.

“This has generally led to mistrust between the public authorities and the media”, recognizes the vice-president.

The representative of the European Union in Burundi believes that Burundian journalists are still under threat.

“[…] I would like to salute the resilience of many Burundian journalists who work in difficult conditions, facing in turn pressure and intimidation, the reluctance of some to communicate”, indicated Claude Bochu. He spoke of “incapacitating working conditions and salaries” of journalists.

According to the vice-president, these conditions threaten professionalism.

“To cope with financial difficulties, some radio and TV stations have drawn staff from young unemployed people with no experience and this has opened up the profession to amateurism and has hampered the professionalism which should characterize the profession of journalist”, added Bazombanza.

The head of the Association of Broadcasters of Burundi (ABR) Onésime Harubuntu hoped for “a new start” after these meetings held in the political capital. It had been around 12 years since the small East African nation had organized the Estates General on the press.