A UN sub-regional workshop on the role of journalists in the peaceful conduct of elections opened in Douala on May 6.

Most armed conflicts in Africa, it has been noticed, stem from contested election results. In a bid to ensure that elections in the Central African sub-region are conducted peacefully and in a free and fair manner, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, UNOCA, yesterday May 6, 2015, in Douala, opened a workshop for journalists from nine countries in the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS sub-region. The theme is, “The role of journalists in the peaceful conduct and promotion of elections in Central Africa.”

Speaking at the event, Col. François Ndiaye, the representative of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Central Africa, said Africa in the next three years will organise 17 key elections. The role of journalists in the process will be to ensure that they provide the right information by raising awareness among the people. This, Col. Ndiaye added, will save the continent from untold violence and blood-letting.

Mireille Bisseck Eyouck, the Littoral Regional Delegate for Communication, who stood in for the Minister, warned that conflicts resulting from disputed elections can be disastrous, even resulting in war and genocide. She expressed the wish that workshop participants will leave with a new spirit and attitude toward covering and ensuring peaceful polls.

Earlier, Ahowanou Agbessi, the Director of the UN Office for Democracy and Human Rights in Central Africa, CNUDHD-AC, insisted on the need for the media to help voters freely make their choice.

Pierre Siméon Athomo-Ndong, standing in for ECCAS, spoke of the great influence journalists wield, adding that it was important for them to receive proper training in covering elections.

On his part, Tidiane Dioh of the International Organisation of the Francophonie, OIF, explained that there are no international conventions on covering elections, warning of the danger of journalists arriving a country a few days to polls and covering it without proper background information.

Jointly organised with UN Office for Democracy and Human Rights in Central Africa and the International Organisation of the Francophonie, the three-day workshop is discussing several topics.

These include international and regional instruments for managing elections, the judicial framework for elections in Central Africa, and media, democracy and elections.

Others are media, prevention of electoral conflicts and management of post-election crises, media and human rights protection during elections and the right of marginalised people in participating in elections.

Facilitators are from UNESCO, UNOCA, CNUDHD-AC, ECCAS, the Cameroon Bar Association and the University of Douala.