Côte d’Ivoire: journalists’ unions condemn political interference in UNJCI
On February 20, following an emergency injunction filed by a collective claiming to uphold legal compliance, an interim judge suspended the ordinary Congress that was scheduled to renew the governing bodies of the National Union of Journalists of Côte d’Ivoire (UNJCI). In response, the UNJCI announced its intention to appeal the ruling.
With the original Congress no longer feasible within the statutory deadlines and the current mandate set to expire on February 26 at midnight, an extraordinary Congress was convened on February 25. Delegates voted—by the required majority—to extend the mandates until the ordinary Congress could be held in due course, thereby preventing any institutional vacuum. However, tensions flared shortly after the vote, underscoring the volatile climate surrounding the situation.
Jean Claude Coulibaly, President of the UNJCI, stated: « We acknowledged the court’s decision to suspend our 12th ordinary Congress while pursuing an appeal. But allowing a statutory void to develop would have endangered the very foundations of our organization. The mandate extension approved by the extraordinary Congress is a responsible measure to ensure institutional continuity. The UNJCI stands as the united house of Ivorian journalists—it must neither be weakened nor placed under provisional administration. »
Omar Faruk Osman, President of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), added: « Preventing a union from convening to renew its leadership and then exploiting that situation to create an institutional vacuum represents a severe breach of trade union freedom. This contradicts Côte d’Ivoire’s African and international commitments. No political authority has the right to select or influence the leadership of a journalists’ organization. »
Anthony Bellanger, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Journalists (FIJ), emphasized: « This constitutes a grave violation of the right to freedom of association and a blatant interference in the internal affairs of a trade union. Alongside the FAJ, we will pursue formal complaints with relevant international and African bodies, including the International Labour Organization, to hold the Ivorian government accountable for these abuses. The autonomy of trade unions is enshrined in international law—it is non-negotiable. »
Both the FIJ and FAJ have urged Ivorian authorities to respect the UNJCI’s independence, ensure the safety of its members, and facilitate the timely and transparent convening of an ordinary Congress under peaceful conditions.
