Communications Minister hails press freedom in Mali

Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The Malian Minister of Communications, Sidiki N’fa Konaté, in Bamako Tuesday commended the freedom of the press in his country, saying that journalists were not troubled in the exercise of their profession.

"The government hails the fact that today no journalist is imprisoned in this country, no citizen of Mali is in jail for writing, expressing, in any form whatsoever, their ideas and opinions," he stressed.

Speaking on the occasion of the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, he stressed the Malian government's willingness to enact a bill decriminalizing press offences, a bill on the establishment of private TV stations, to set up a single media regulatory body and to establish a college of communications.
-0- PANA GT/AAS/EMD/VAO 3May2011