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In Senegal, journalist Pape Alè Niang, detained since December 20, continues his hunger strike. His supporters, including several unions and press organizations, are mobilizing, castigating arbitrary detention aimed at muzzling freedom of expression. Interview with Sadibou Marong, from Reporters Without Borders.
In Senegal, concern is growing over the fate of journalist Pape Alè Niang, who has been on hunger strike since his imprisonment on 20 December. The boss of the Dakar Matin news site, known for his investigations critical of power, is accused by the courts of having disseminated information “of a nature to harm national defence”, of “concealment of administrative and military documents” and “spreading fake news”.
The journalist denounces a relentlessness of the authorities which aims to silence dissenting voices and is supported in its fight by several trade unions and press organisations. Among them, Reporters Without Borders, which published on Friday 6 January a open letter, signed by 78 African journalistsdemanding the immediate release of their colleague and the dropping of the charges once morest him.
France 24 spoke with Sadibou Marong, a Senegalese journalist, director of the organization’s West Africa office, the originator of this initiative.
France 24 : Earlier this week, one of Pape Alè Niang’s lawyers said he feared for the life of his client, who is now in hospital. What do we know regarding his health? ?
Sadibou Marong : Pape Alè Niang had already started a hunger strike following his first arrest in November. He was then released, then reincarcerated on December 20, when he once more stopped eating. On Christmas Eve, he was transferred to a special ward for prisoners in the main hospital in Dakar.
He sent us a message a few days later through his family explaining that he remained “strong and determined”, and “always ready to fight for his freedom and for the freedom of the press”. Since then we have not been able to meet him, but his close family and his lawyers report to us on his condition. According to our information, he refuses medical follow-up and is in very bad shape.
His detractors accuse him of leading a political fight once morest power under the guise of journalism, can you come back to the charges once morest him ?
We totally refute these accusations. Pape Alè Niang is a recognized journalist, active for more than twenty years, who practices investigation on subjects such as corruption and governance. He worked a lot on the case Ousmane Sonko, [le principal opposant au président Macky Sall, accusé de viol par une jeune femme, NDLR] and management of this file by the authorities.
He had been arrested on November 6 and detained for more than a month, on the grounds in particular of having relayed a confidential document on this affair, then released under judicial supervision. On December 20, he was imprisoned once more because he was accused of having violated the terms of this control by evoking the lawsuits once morest him during his YouTube lives. This information was categorically rejected by the Coordination of Press Associations (Cap), following verification. However, despite all our efforts, he remains in prison when nothing justifies his continued detention.
His lawyers have filed a new request for provisional release, we hope it will be accepted. We also ask that the charges once morest him be dropped, as they represent an obstacle to the freedom of the press, guaranteed by the Constitution. No journalist should risk criminal prosecution for their work.
In your opinion, is this affair an isolated event or does it reflect a deleterious context vis-à-vis the press in Senegal? ?
Pape Alè Niang is a disturbing person; it is a target for power. The government is unaware of its fate by taking refuge behind the separation of powers, but it is obvious that the authorities are using justice to silence it.
This case represents a threat to the profession, and more generally to freedom of expression in the country, especially since it occurs in a particular political context, one year before the presidential election. It is a message addressed to all journalists and a way of stifling the freedom of the press.
Senegal has acquired the reputation of a flagship of freedom of expression in the sub-region, thanks to the active citizenship and the struggles of the deans of the press. The Pape Alè Niang affair is a dark spot in this picture.
Senegal recorded a sharp decline in RSF’s latest world press freedom ranking in 2022, falling from 49e at the 73e position on 180 countries. What is it due to ?
This decline is primarily due to factors related to the safety of journalists in a tense social and political context.
In March, the summons and arrest ofOusmane Sonko by justice sparked a wave of protests during which the media were targeted, including the group Futurs medias and the pro-government newspaper Le Soleil.
Journalists were also injured by the security forces during the dispersal of the rally in front of the Dakar court, where Ousmane Sonko was summoned. At the same time, the audiovisual regulator shut down the signal for three days from two major television channels that were broadcasting the protests.
Finally, Senegal also pays for certain structural shortcomings. We do not yet have a law to protect access to information, unlike the Ivory Coast for example, nor decriminalize press offences, as the Pape Alè Niang case sadly illustrates.
