Three questions to Radio Publique Africaine manager Eric Manirakiza

Eric Manirakiza, the manager of Burundi’s privately-owned Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), visited Reporters Without Borders headquarters in Paris on 6 December. Reporters Without Borders asked him about the situation of journalists in Burundi, which has worsened markedly this year, and about the government’s increasing harassment of the media. Listen to his replies (in french).

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Reporters Without Borders: With privately-owned media being harassed, journalists interrogated and now another arrest, what is your view of the media freedom situation in Burundi?

(...) Le Burundi est un pays qui avait atteint un niveau satisfaisant de liberté d'expression et d'opinion. Malheureusement, cette liberté est en train d'être remise en cause par les dirigeants actuels. (...)

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Reporters Without Borders: Does your radio station, Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), manage to work normally?

(...) RPA a fait l'objet, dernièrement, de plusieurs convocations intempestives (...)

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Reporters Without Borders: What can be done to defend media freedom in Burundi, and what is your message to the authorities and the international community as regards stopping further deterioration?

(...)Il faut aider notre gouvernement à comprendre qu'il y a des droits qu'on ne peut plus remettre en cause. (...)