“It’s completely anachronistic.” In Senegal, democratic and relatively stable country, journalist Pape Alé Niang was arrested in November, released and returned to prison on 20 December. Weakened by a hunger strike, he was transferred to hospital in Dakar overnight from Saturday to Sunday. For Sadibou Marong, director of the regional office of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for West Africa, the journalist was arrested because of his work. “As long as the Senegalese justice is not able to justify the reasons for the arrest of Pape Alé Niang, we consider that it is arbitrary”, he points out.
Pape Alé Niang is a well-known journalist in the Senegalese online press. After working for various media, he created his own site, Dakar Morning. He regularly publishes chronicles on political news, appearing rather close to the opposition. When rape accusations erupt against the opponent Ousmane Sonko, in February 2021, Pape Alé Niang took over the case. “He has become a real investigative journalist,” explains Sadibou Marong. Pape Alé Niang publishes revelation after revelation, with confidential documents in support. “He defended the opponent, he denounced the alleged government plot against Ousmane Sonko”, details Ayoba Faye, Senegalese journalist for the online media Press Africa. Pape Alé Niang goes so far as to publish documents on the security arrangements planned for Ousmane Sonko’s last appearance before a judge on November 3. It is these revelations which, it seems, would have caused his arrest.
Hunger-strike
Arrested on November 6, the journalist is prosecuted for having disclosed information “likely to harm national defence”, pour “concealment of administrative and military documents”, and for broadcasting “false news likely to discredit public institutions”. Quickly, the profession mobilized to demand his release, in particular the Coordination of Press Associations of Senegal. “No Senegalese journalist wants to see his colleague in prison”, supports the director of the RSF regional office. On December 2, the day after a visit by the RSF secretary general, Pape Alé Niang began a hunger strike. He finally obtains a provisional release on December 14 and comes out very weakened from his incarceration.
Barely a week later, the journalist is imprisoned again. Justice accuses him of not having respected the terms of his judicial review, which prohibited him from traveling and especially from communicating on his file. “While he was already in failing health, he resumed a hunger strike as soon as he returned to prison”, continues Ayoba Faye. His state of health would have deteriorated further. Since his transfer to the hospital, his lawyers have not given any news. The court has not yet announced a hearing date.
73rd in the RSF ranking
Senegal is not used to arresting journalists. “We had not documented any serious arrests of journalists since 2004,” recalls Sadibou Marong. The country is often praised for its freedom of the press. “You will never see, during my governance in Senegal, a journalist imprisoned for a press offence”, had thus promised President Macky Sall, in 2015. Re-elected in 2019, the Head of State had however nuanced: “It is normal, when we intervene on a matter that affects national security, we must be arrested. It is not because we are journalists that we are above the law.
Senegal is ranked 73rd out of 180 in RSF’s latest press freedom ranking. The country fell 24 places compared to 2021. “Senegal must play a role of model, says Sadibou Marong. If the Senegalese authorities start putting journalists in prison, it could have negative repercussions in other African countries.”