18 April 2007
RSF, family and support committees continue to press for truth three years
after journalist's disappearance in Abidjan
(RSF/IFEX) - On the third anniversary of the abduction and disappearance of
French-Canadian journalist Guy-André Kieffer in Abidjan, a news conference
about the case was held on 13 April 2007 at the French national assembly by
Reporters Without Borders, Kieffer's wife, Osange Silou-Kieffer, his
brother, Bernard Kieffer, the president of "Truth for Guy-André Kieffer"
support committee, Aline Richard, and the Green Party deputy for Gironde,
Noël Mamère.
Promising on behalf of Green Party leader Dominique Voynet to "keep
pressing for the truth to emerge" and reiterating his party's support for
Kieffer's family and friends, Mamère said he feared that the peace accord
recently reached in Ouagadougou between Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo
and the new prime minister, Guillaume Soro, would "write off" the need for
truth and justice in this case.
Richard read out the replies to a letter about the case that had been
received from French presidential candidates Marie-Georges Buffet (PCF) and
Arlette Laguiller (LO). The texts of their letters are available at this
website: http://www.guyandrekieffer.org
Reporters Without Borders announced that, together with the family and
support committees, it had launched a poster campaign to remind the French
public about the mystery surrounding Kieffer's disappearance in the run-up
to the presidential election. Posters with Kieffer's photo and the
question: "Where is Guy-André Kieffer?" have been put up in various parts
of the Paris, including outside the Côte d'Ivoire embassy ( photos
available from http://www.rsf.org ).
"We are demanding that those responsible for our colleague's disappearance
should be identified and punished, not just to render justice to his family
and friends, but to render justice to the Ivorians themselves, who have a
right to know how and why a journalist can be kidnapped in broad daylight
in Abidjan and whether any of their president's close aides were involved,"
Reporters Without Borders said.
Kieffer's wife, Silou-Kieffer, said she met on 13 April with Brigitte
Girardin, the deputy minister for cooperation, development and Francophone
countries, who has often raised the case on visits to Abidjan. Girardin
promised to make the case "a priority" when she handed over her portfolio
to her successor and said it would be "an important part of her legacy,"
Silou-Kieffer said.
Kieffer's brother deplored the Ivorian authorities' continuing obstruction
of the investigation being conducted by French judges Patrick Ramaël and
Emmanuelle Ducos, including the Ivorian high command's failure to respond
to a request to question five solders on active service who have been
identified as probable members of the "operational commando unit" that
kidnapped Kieffer.
The soldiers are Dorgeles Toh Zoua, also known as Arthur (born in Duékoué
in January 1980), Tiburce Vionhou, aka Jose (born in Bangolo on 13 February
1979), Bognan Donatien Glouh, aka Doubi (born in Dabou on 8 June 1983),
Jean Roland Zaomon, aka Requin (born in Duékoué on 20 October 1977) and
Doni Yoro, aka Fisher (born in Abidjan on 1 January 1976).
"If the Ivorian army has nothing to hide, it should produce evidence that
these five individuals are still alive and it should allow the judges to
question them," Kieffer's brother added.
For further information, contact Léonard Vincent at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: africa@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org