AFP dispatch
Guinea's main press union threatened on Monday to hold an indefinite general strike after the ruling military banned several media outlets amid severe restrictions on freedom of information.
The Guinean Press Professionals Union (SPPG) will refer the matter to the Guinean Trade Union Movement on Monday with a view to a general strike, announced its secretary general, Sekou Jamal Pendessa.
"Since they (the authorities) want silence in the country, which is why they are closing down the media (…) there will be silence until the presidency," he warned at a press conference, threatening an indefinite general strike.
He called on the government to lift the ban and announced that he would meet with other trade union federations on Saturday to coordinate the response.
On Wednesday, May 22, the authorities withdrew the operating licenses of radio stations FIM FM, Radio Espace FM, Sweet FM, Djoma FM, and television stations Djoma TV and Espace TV, citing "non-compliance with the terms of reference."
They justified this measure by citing "regular lapses" and "violations of human dignity" on the part of these media outlets, without providing further details.
This is the latest crackdown on the media by the junta that came to power by force in 2021, led by General Mamadi Doumbouya.
The ban on the six media outlets has provoked an outcry among opponents and human rights defenders.
The censorship of several media outlets and the arrest of Mr. Pendessa at the end of January triggered a three-day general strike a month later, which paralyzed the country.