CPJ worried over safety of journalists in Mali

New York, 10 Aug – (ANA) - Members of an Islamist militant group attacked a radio journalist in Mali on Sunday and ordered his station off the air in retaliation for the station’s coverage of local protests, local journalists and an Islamist group leader have said. Four gunmen of the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), a Salafist militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, stormed the studios of Radio Adar Khoïma in the northeast town of Gao shortly after 9 p.m. and attacked Malick Aliou Maïga, a journalist hosting a live show, the Committee to Project Journalists (CPJ) learnt. The men dragged Maïga, who is also a local correspondent of the U.S.-government-funded station Voice of the America (VOA), out of the studio and used rifle butts to beat him until he became unconscious, VOA told CPJ. “We condemn the brutal assault of journalist Malick Aliou Maïga and are concerned about the safety of all journalists working in Mali,” said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita from New York. “Radio Adar Khoïma must also be allowed to resume broadcasting, and should not be penalized for its reporting.” (ANA)

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