Burundi-Media: Texts governing the media sector made public

The National Council of Communication (CNC) has organized this Thursday, November 15, 2018, in the Bujumbura town(western Burundi), a workshop of the making public the law governing the press sector for media officials, representatives of the provincial administration, the Attorney General, the provincial attorneys of the Republic, and the Provincial Police Commissioners of Bujumbura Town and Bujumbura, Bubanza, Cibitoke and Rumonge Provinces.

The purpose of this workshop was to establish a partnership between the media, the administration, the justice system, and security services.

Regain the mutual trust in media lost since 2015.

According to CNC Chair Nestor Bankumukunzi, it was necessary for this text to be made public so that all involved are aware of it. For him, a climate of mistrust that has been born since 2015 must be eliminated.

“Sitting together to analyze the highlights of this law is one of partnership”, he said, adding that it is a way of putting people together to work in a climate of mutual trust.

Journalists called upon to abide by the law.

Mr. Bankumukunzi advised the journalists to respect the law so that this climate of trust is a reality.
“Conflicting relationships must decrease“, he stressed, by inviting administration and other services
to be open to the media in quest of information.

The strengthening of the climate of confidence is possible, he said as a former journalist, adding that
it will be beneficial to the country in general.

Moreover, he asked the media to avoid globalization when a misunderstanding occurs during the search for information. For him, the responsibility in the refusal to deliver information is, sometimes, shared.

The journalist must know to approach the holders of information and gain their trust. Media officials have been challenged to enforce the press law in order to honor the country, especially during the next
electoral processes.

The journalist has an important role in the country.

As for the public, the CNC president calls for respect for the journalist as someone who has an important role in the construction of the country.

With regard to the sanctioning of press offenses, the CNC Chairman intends to deal with the same manner different media outlets because it is in the general interest of the country.

The ideal for him is to establish a free, respectable press that respects the law in its turn. With regard to the depravity of mores, especially by showing films, he noted that CNC does not stand idly by and the results are already visible.

For films screened in secret outside the media, it is up to the administration, the police and the parents to eradicate this phenomenon, he pointed out.