BUJUMBURA December 20th (ABP) – The consultations organized for stakeholders and media professionals for the revision of the press law, which took place from December 14 to 17, 2021 at the Royal Palace hotel, were closed by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Communication, Information Technologies and Media, Mr. Anicet Niyonkuru.
He underlined on that occasion that his feeling of satisfaction on the part of the said ministry to see the quality debates which characterized those meetings.
He indicated that this is the first time that media professionals and actors have been involved at this level in the development of a law that will govern them in their professions.
This is a big step in democracy, he said, because indeed “what concerns the Burundians must emanate from themselves”.
According to Mr. Niyonkuru, there is no doubt that the legislator will take into account the wishes of media professionals. He praised the data contributions by film actors and pledged that his ministry will take them into account.
Likewise, he promised that the ministry will support, at all levels, the revision proposals coming out of the professionals themselves and praised the support of UNESCO in that process.
As for the UNESCO delegate for Central Africa, Mr. Serges Banyimbe, he said he was surprised by the mobilization of actors and media professionals in that exercise. He also praised the authorities’ desire for media actors to participate themselves in the revision of the law that will govern them. He promised that UNESCO will continue to support this process of consultations so that several actors have their say on it. He expressed the wish to see this new law, which will be the 8th since colonization, operational by June 2022.