78 African journalists and press freedom organisations urge Senegal to free reporter, respect press freedom
At the request of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 78 African journalists and press freedom organisations have signed an appeal to Senegal to release Dakar Matin editor Pape Alé Niang and to respect the country‘s constitution, which enshrines press freedom.
Arrested on 6 November, released on 14 December and then rearrested six days later, Niang is currently hospitalised as a result of going on hunger strike and his health is beginning to deteriorate.
The 78 journalists calling for his immediate release and the withdrawal of the spurious charges brought against him include such leading African media figures as Pape Saine, the editor of the Gambian newspaper The Point, Seidik Abba, an analyst and specialist in African issues working for international media, Hopewell Chin'ono, a well-known Zimbabwean investigative reporter, and Ignace Sossou, a Beninese journalist with Benin Web TV who was unjustly jailed for six months.
The appeal has also been signed and is being actively supported by such journalists’ rights organisations as the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
This appeal is an act of solidarity with our colleague Pape Alé Niang. It is remarkable that so many leading African media names are supporting this appeal, a message that must be heard by the Senegalese authorities. These repeated arrests constitute a flagrant violation of the Senegalese constitution. As a result of his arrests and his hunger strike, Pape Alé Niang’s physical condition is now very worrying, as is the decline in respect for press freedom in Senegal.
Addressed to the Senegal’s political and judicial authorities, the appeal underlines the importance of the freedom to report the news in Senegal, a country long renowned for its media pluralism and its respect for the press. In a democratic country, the media must not be subjected to attacks and intimidation.
Charged with revealing information “likely to harm national defence,” “receiving confidential administrative and military documents” and disseminating “false news likely to discredit state institutions,” Niang was returned to prison on 20 December.
At his inauguration in 2012, President Macky Sall nonetheless pledged that no journalist would ever be imprisoned while he was running the country.
Senegal is ranked 73rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2022 World Press Freedom Index, 24 places lower than in 2021.
The appeal of the 78
“PAPE ALÉ NIANG HAS NO PLACE BEING IN PRISON”
“We, journalists from the African continent, are alarmed by the plight of our colleague Pape Alé Niang and are very concerned about the consequences of his imprisonment on his health, on press freedom and on the right of all citizens to news and information. We therefore call on the Senegalese authorities to free him.
Pape Alé Niang’s release by the justice system will end a serious violation of the principles of press freedom in a country that has ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and recognises the right to information and the right to express oneself and disseminate one's opinions.
Unless the judicial authorities want the international community to think that they seek to silence Pape Alé Niang and limit the right of Senegal’s citizens to be informed, they must free him at once and drop all charges against him.
His imprisonment highlights the existence of other challenges for the media in Senegal, once a press freedom flagship in Africa. We point out that, despite the existence of a bill, Senegal lacks a law on access to information, which prevents journalists and citizens from accessing state-held information. It is time to remedy this without delay and to amend the Press Code in order to decriminalise press offences.
We remind the Senegalese authorities that journalists, including Pape Alé Niang, provide information about matters of public interest. Senegal prides itself on being a democracy and journalism is a cornerstone of democracy. It is anachronistic in a democracy such as Senegal to put a journalist in prison.
Senegal was ranked 49th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2021 World Press Freedom Index but it fell to 73rd place in the 2022 Index. We would not like to see it fall any further.
Signataires
1. Reporters sans frontières (RSF), bureau Afrique - Sénégal
2. Comité pour la Protection des Journalistes (CPJ Africa) - États Unis
3. Fédération des Journalistes Africains (FAJ) - Sénégal
4. Fédération Internationale des Journalistes (FIJ), bureau Afrique - Sénégal
5. Fondation des Médias pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest (MFWA) - Ghana
6. Cellule Norbert Zongo pour le journalisme d’investigation en Afrique de l’Ouest (CENOZO) - Burkina Faso
7. Union des journalistes d’Afrique de l’Ouest (UJAO) - Sénégal
8. Coordination des Associations de Presse (CAP) du Sénégal (Synpics, Appel, CDEPS, CJRS, CTPAS, UNPJS, URAC) - Sénégal
9. National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) - Somalie
10. Journalistes en Danger (JED) - RDC
11. EKÔLAB Journalism Project - Bénin
12. Zubaida Afua Mabuno Ismail, journaliste d’investigation - Ghana
13. Moussa Aksar, journaliste d’Investigation - Niger
14. Diallo Ibrahim Manzo, journaliste - Niger
15. Seidik Abba, journaliste et écrivain - France
16. Francis Laloupo, journaliste et formateur - France
17. Stephen Douglas, journaliste - Sierra Leone
18. Mohamed Kabba, journaliste et directeur de publication - Sierra Leone
19. Peter Quaqua, journaliste - Libéria
20. Dunbar Alline, journaliste - Libéria
21. David Alloycious, journaliste - Libéria
22. Silva Filomena, journaliste et directrice de publication - Cap-Vert
23. Nouhou Baldé, fondateur et administrateur général de guineematin.com - Guinée
24. Sékou Pendissa Jamal, journaliste, président du Syndicat des journalistes de Guinée - Guinée
25. Hadja Kadé Barry, journaliste - Guinée
26. Ignace Sossou, journaliste d’investigation - Bénin
27. Badarou Aziz, journaliste - Bénin
28. Worou Tchehou Loukoumane, journaliste, rédacteur en chef - Bénin
29. Assogbadjo Maryse, jounaliste - Bénin
30. Sandrine Ouédraogo, journaliste d’investigation - Burkina Faso
31. Aimé Nabaloum, journaliste rédacteur en chef - Burkina Faso
32. Vincent Kaboré, journaliste - Burkina Faso
33. Ouattara Abdoulaye, journaliste - Burkina Faso
34. Aminata Sanou, journaliste - Burkina Faso
35. Sagnon Mariam, journaliste - Burkina Faso
36. Toe jean Marie, journaliste - Burkina Faso
37. Thienon Jean Michel Boudayinga, journaliste - Burkina Faso
38. Ouédraogo Arnaud, journaliste - Burkina Faso
39. Barry Ouédraogo Djenaba, journaliste - Burkina Faso
40. Sanou Aminata, journaliste - Burkina Faso
41. Taoko Hervé, directeur de publication - Burkina Faso
42. Fatu Camara, journaliste, directrice de Fatu Network - Gambie
43. Muhammed S. Bah, journaliste, président de GPU - Gambie
44. Pap Saine, directeur de publication The Point - Gambie
45. Baba Hydara, journaliste, co-publisher The Point - Gambie
46. Sosseh Ndey Tapha, journaliste - Gambie
47. Jahatey Lamin, journaliste- Gambie
48. Kodmadjingar André, journaliste, FM Liberté - Tchad
49. Wiche Djimet, directeur de publication d'Alwihda Info - Tchad
50. Eric Topona, journaliste, rédaction francophone à la Deutsche Welle (DW) - Allemagne
51. Noël Konan, journaliste d'investigation - Côte d’Ivoire
52. Diedri Anderson, journaliste - Côte d’Ivoire
53. Mamoudou Ibra Kane, directeur général E-media - Sénégal
54. Assane Diagne, rédacteur en chef francophone de The Conversation Afrique - Sénégal
55. Mamadou Thior, coordonnateur CORED - Sénégal
56. Birame Faye, coordonnateur Média IPAO - Sénégal
57. Ibrahima Lissa faye, directeur de Pressafrik - Sénégal
58. Massaer Dia, journaliste - Sénégal
59. Momar Dieng, journaliste d’investigation - Sénégal
60. Momar Diongue, directeur de publication - Sénégal
61. Samba Dialimpa Badji, journaliste - Sénégal
62. Bamba Kassé, secrétaire général du Synpics - Sénégal
63. Jacques Ngor Sarr, directeur de publication - Sénégal
64. Adama Gaye, journaliste-écrivain, ancien directeur de la communication de la CEDEAO - Sénégal
65. Maxime Domégni, journaliste d'investigation et formateur - Togo
66. Sossou Yewa Etoname, journaliste - Togo
67. Kuvo Pierre Claver, journaliste - Togo
68. Silva Filomena, directrice de publication - Cap Vert
69. Omar Faruk Osman, journaliste et secrétaire général NUSOJ - Somalie
70. Abubakar Mohamed Osman, ournaliste, Shabelle Media Network - Somalie
71. Boukary Daou, directeur de publication Le Républicain - Mali
72. Diop Massiré, journaliste - Mali
73. Diallo Mariam, journaliste - Mali
74. Traoré Seydou, journaliste - Mali
75. Thsivis Tchivuadi, président de JED - RDC
76. Zeid Saleck, journaliste - Mauritanie
77. Isine Ibanga, rédacteur en chef - Nigeria
78. Hopewell Chin’ono, journaliste d’investigation - Zimbabwé
