The International Federation of Journalists said that Mauritania’s media sector faced a growing financial crisis that caused all private television channels to close at the end of 2017 because they could not pay licence and broadcasting costs. It added that one channel, Al Mourabitoun, had reached a debt rescheduling agreement with the broadcasting body and resumed operations.
At the conclusion of its President’s visit to Mauritania, the Federation also discussed print media, describing a severe crisis following the one that led to the National Printing House’s closure because of accumulated debts.
The statement discussed the President’s visit, joint work with the Mauritanian Journalists’ Union and activities held during the visit. It welcomed the Mauritanian President’s reception, his backing for the Declaration on Media Freedom in the Arab World and his pledge to instruct his government to take swift steps to sign it.
The President said that this pledge to sign would make Mauritania the first country to sign the declaration that year and the sixth after Palestine, Tunisia, Jordan, Sudan and Morocco.
The statement received by Essiraj read:
“The Mauritanian Journalists’ Union organised a national event in Nouakchott on 25 January, attended by more than 70 editors, trade union leaders, academics and heads of legal and rights organisations. It concluded with press, union and civil society leaders signing the Declaration on Media Freedom in the Arab World.
Philippe Leruth, President of the International Federation of Journalists, said: “The high-level discussion at the meeting and the large number of associations signing are an indication of the entire Mauritanian media sector’s and civil society’s commitment to the Declaration on Media Freedom in the Arab World.”
Mauritanian Journalists’ Union President Mohamed Salem Ould Dah said: “Today’s signing of the declaration by Mauritanian journalists and civil society confirms that Mauritania is determined to remain one of the leading countries in media freedom and press independence throughout the region.”
On 26 January/December, a delegation from the International Federation of Journalists and the Mauritanian Journalists’ Union, comprising the Federation President, the Union President and Mounir Zaarour, the Federation’s Director of Policy and Programmes for the Arab World and the Middle East, met Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to present the declaration.
The Mauritanian President expressed his backing for the declaration and said he would direct his government to take swift steps to sign it. Mauritania would thus become the first country to sign that year and the sixth after Palestine, Tunisia, Jordan, Sudan and Morocco. After meeting President Ould Abdel Aziz, Leruth said: “We are very pleased to obtain the President’s support for the Media Freedom Declaration and his commitment to press freedom in Mauritania and the Arab world.”
Although Mauritania is one of the region’s leading countries for us, with open media legislation, its media sector faces a growing financial crisis. The crisis caused all four private television channels to close at the end of 2017 because they could not pay licence and broadcasting costs. Only one, Al Mourabitoun, reached an agreement to reschedule its debts with the broadcasting body and resumed operations at the end of last December. Print media also face a severe crisis following the one that led to the National Printing House’s closure because of accumulated debts.
International Federation of Journalists”