The 10th edition of the International Festival of Freedom of Expression and the Press started in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The Pan-African meeting will move into higher gear with the official opening expected tomorrow.

As part of its main mission to promote and defend freedom of expression and the media, the festival will pay special tribute to Namibia for its consistent number-one ranking in Africa in terms of media freedom.

The Festival of Freedom of Expression and the Press, FILEP, had a difficult start in the year 2000 in Ouagadougou, with the government at that time determined to not let it take place.

The organisers, however, feel that ten editions in 25 years is a proud achievement. However, the environment in which journalists are operating in countries like the host country, Burkina Faso, and neighbouring countries like Mali and Niger has changed for the worse, as journalists often operate under difficult conditions due to political upheavals and military conflicts.

Diallo has been working at the Norbert Zongo Centre for the past 25 years, a centre named after renowned investigative journalist Norbert Zongo, who was killed for his work not far from Oaugadougou in 1998.

On Friday, Burkina Faso will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its National Press Freedom Day. 

This year's media freedom rankings by Reporters Without Borders do not make for good reading across the continent, with several countries plummeting in the rankings, showing that freedom of expression and that of the media are in serious decline. However, Namibia proved to be the exception.

Organisers expect more than 200 participants at this year's edition of the International Festival of Freedom of Expression and the Press.