The Guinean press obtains a place on the board of directors of Reporters Without Borders. Facely Konaté, regional director Hadafo Médias Nzérékoré, joined this body of RSF at the end of the ordinary general meeting held on 1is June 2023.
This is good news for the Guinean press. THE journalist Facely Konatéregional director of the Hadafo Médias group Nzérékoré has officially joined the board of directors of Reporters Without Bordersan association in charge of defending press freedom and protecting journalists around the world.
A great honor “
RSF, which has launched the renewal of its bodies, organized its ordinary general meeting on June 1, 2023 at the premises of Agence France Presse (AFP) in Paris to elect the members of the Board of Directors. Among the 25 elected membersis the Guinean Facely Konaté.
“Happy to join the Board of Directors (CA) of Reporters Without Borders as a member, following the Ordinary General Assembly held on June 1, 2023 in Paris”he rejoiced on his Twitter account.
“It is a great honor for me that I assume with humility, determination and passion. The media and information, more than ever, are a cornerstone, which must be indestructible, of our democracies”he writes before committing “to continue the fight for press freedom and the protection of journalists around the world”.
RSF’s Board of Directors is the body that elects the executive board and sets the association’s objectives and action plan. Its role is to implement the major orientations adopted by the General Assembly. The new team will hold its first meeting in Paris on July 12, 2023.
The profession of journalist under threat in Guinea
At the end of the Council of Ministers on Thursday May 18, the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, government spokesman said : “Any media, be it radio, television, a website, which with remarks which are likely to undermine national unity, to stir up community hatred, to raise one against the other to lead to tragedies in our country, we will not hesitate to shut down the media and take full responsibility for it”.
Threats preceded the day before by the dismantling of the transmitters of two private radio stations, followed by the blocking of access to the Internet, news sites and social networks, and the jamming of frequencies of certain audiovisual media.
In reaction to these remarks and acts prejudicial to the exercise of freedom of the press, the press associations had launched a series of protest measures. The first was a day without pressorganized on May 22 throughout Guinea.
Measures which have forced the authorities to meet the demands of press associations: the return of dismantled transmitters, the cessation of interference with the airwaves and the unblocking of access to sites and social networks.
The expected transition regime at the turn
On the occasion of the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, Wednesday 3 May 2023, Reporter Without Borders (RSF) has also published the world press freedom index for the year 2023.
Of the 180 countries assessed on the conditions for practicing journalism, Guinea occupied the 85th rank with a score of 59.1, thus losing one point compared to the year 2022 (84th rank with a score of 59.82).
According to RSF, “Media pluralism is very real in Guinea, but the new transitional regime, installed since the September 2021 coup, is still awaited at the turn on issues relating to freedom of the press”.
Facely Konaté, now a member of RSF’s Board of Directors, will keep a very close eye on the exercise of press freedom and the protection of journalists in his country and around the world.