The National Press Council, (CNP) has suspended the independent newspaper l’Inter for three editions over a publication judged to be “dangerous for social cohesion.” A statement issued on October 9th, said Cyrille Djedjed, the author of the article published on September 29th, was also suspended for one month. His professional identity card has also been withdrawn during the period of suspension.
According the MFWA correspondent in Cote d’Ivoire, Cyrille Djedjed claimed in his article entitled “The Bétés Did Not come Out” that the indigenous Bétés boycotted the visit of President Alassane Ouattara to Gagnoa in the Goh Region, home region of Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé, both prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.
It continued that the Bétés said they “were not concerned about the meeting” because “it is our kinsmen who are in prison at the Hague.”
The CNP found the claims of Cyrille Djedjed that no Bété came out to meet the president to be without any scientific basis. It therefore considered the article to be “a distortion of information and an attempt to mislead readers.” Accusing the author of pursuing “a hidden agenda”, the CNP said the article could be “dangerous to social cohesion especially at this sensitive period when presidential elections are due to be held on October 25th.”
The CNP concluded that in view of the above observations, there has been a breach of the journalism code of ethics by the author and the journal.