The Federation of Associations of Press Professionals and Online Publishers of West Africa (FAPPELAO) is on its baptismal font. It was created by professional online media organizations in French-speaking West Africa on April 28, 2023, following a Constituent General Assembly held in Abidjan.
FAPPELAO is managed by a board of 7 members chaired by Dr. Cyriaque Paré of the Lefaso.net site (Burkina-Faso) with 1time vice-president, promoter of the Ekinamag and Togotopnews sites, president of the Togolese Association of Private Online Press Organs (ATOPPEL), Helène Doubidji. The 2nd Vice President is Lassina Sermé from Côte d’Ivoire. The posts of Secretary General and Deputy Secretary are occupied respectively by Ibrahima Lissa Faye from Senegal and Léonce GAMAI from Benin. The General Treasurer is Modibo Fofana from Mali who will be assisted by Maïmouna Bangoura from Guinea.
This office, we are informed, will work for a rapid operationalization of FAPPELAO whose headquarters are in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. For the President, the Federation “will bring significant added value to efforts to protect press freedom and support online media professionals in West Africa”.
This constitutive General Assembly took place on the sidelines of a regional meeting on human rights and freedom of expression organized on April 27 and 28, 2023 at the instigation of the Network of online press professionals in Côte d’Ivoire. ‘Ivoire (REPPRELCI) with the technical and financial support of the West Africa Regional Office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Offices of UN Women and UNESCO in Côte d’Ivoire.
Online media associations from eight French-speaking West African countries took part in the meeting. These are Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Togo and Senegal.
Atha Assan