The Minister of
Information and Tourism of Equatorial Guinea, Jeronimo Osa Osa Ecoro, announced
the country’s support of World Press Freedom Day in an address to all news
media professionals on May 3. In his remarks, the Minister congratulated the
nation’s media professionals, “Who have demonstrated in recent years an amazing
ability to handle the new information technologies, which bring us closer to
the world and integrate us in the global process of the development of
peoples.”
In recent years,
Equatorial Guinea has made important advances in public media, updating its
national telecommunications infrastructure so that its national television
channel, RTVGE, now reaches nearly 70 percent of the Equatoguinean population
by the International Channel of RTVGE.
Most recently,
Equatorial Guinea launched a new telecommunications company, GECOMSA (Guinea
Ecuatorial Comunicaciones Sociedad Anónima), to better serve Equatorial
Guinea’s rapidly developing communications needs, which President Obiang Nguema
Mbasogo declared, “Will expand and improve our communications’ reach and take
us to a new level of telecommunications.”
Speaking to the
issue of press freedom, Minister Osa Ecoro also said, “The Republic of
Equatorial Guinea has taken up the challenges of development, democracy and
freedom.” He added, “The freedom
of expression is covered in our Basic Law so that all citizens make use of it
and, above all, make good use of it.”
Minister Osa Ecoro ended his speech by announcing
his objectives for the national media. “We intend for this year to lead us to
professional maturity so that accountability, truth and objectivity can grow
stronger in our peaceful coexistence -- guaranteeing development, democracy and
political stability,” he said.
Some 15 separate
entities of local, public and private entities of Equatorial Guinea
participated in this year’s World Press Freedom Day ceremonies.
