By Frank Sainworla, Jr. from Ouagadougou fsainworla@yahoo.com
Africa’s media have been reminded of the need to raise awareness of the dangers of violence and terrorism, as a week-long festival on the 7th International Festival on Freedom of Expression and the press (FILEP) gets underway in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou.
The week-long FILEP was formally opened on Wednesday with Journalists and free expression activists attending from across the African continent and organized by the National Press Center named after slain Burkinabe Journalist Norbert Zongo.
The 6th edition of the festival in 2016 was disrupted by a military coup in Burkina Faso, which was resisted by a popular people’s uprising that eventually led to the exit of former President Blaise Compaore.
A representative of the new Burkina Faso head of State, Cheriff Sy gave the keynote address under the theme: “Security challenges in Africa: the roles and responsibilities of the media.”
He said Journalists were on the side of the people in condemning and resisting the coup in Ouagadougou “giving no chance for violence to prosper and no kind of violence should disrupt African political stability.”
Sy, who is himself a Journalist for over 30 years, said “Journalists are in daily fight to counter all inequalities. We need to fight, always fight.”
The mission of Journalists, he said is to provide awareness not only through their various media outlets “but Journalists should serve as catalysts for transforming societies.”
Sy then spoke of the increasing threat of Islamist Jihadist terrorism on Burkina Faso and other countries in the Sahel-Sahara region, something he said Journalists need to actively fight against.
According to him, since Western countries invaded Libya and rooted out the regime of Colonel Muammar Ghaddafi ‘for selfish interest’, Libya has been breeding ground for increased terrorism and insecurity in the Sahel.
SY called for a new way of partnership between Journalists and state security forces to deal with the terrorism challenges so that the anti-terrorism messages can be disseminated from village to village and community to community.
The opening day of the press freedom and free expression festival was marked by certification and honouring a number of brave and outstanding pioneer in the setting up of the Norbert Zongo Press Center and the FILEP.
Among them were veteran Burkinabe Journalist Halidou Ouadrago and Professor Kwame Karikari of the Media Foundation for West Africa.
Ouadrago said Africa has come a long way in the struggle to achieve press freedom and free expressions since the 1990s. “Now, Africa is a continent of hope,” he said.
The opening ceremony of FILEP was punctuated with songs by several Burkinabe musicians reflecting the struggles of Journalists for freedom and justice and honouring the memories of those past like Norbert Zongo who was killed in 1998.
From November 8-11, 2017, various Journalists and other experts will present papers on the terrorist threat and the rise in extremism and radicalization in Africa.
An editorial released by the organizers of the Ouagadougou press freedom and free speech festival says:
“The world is no longer safe, as it is confronted with terrorism and all forms of extremism and radicalization. The National Press Center Norbert Zongo (CNP/NZ) has decided to address the issue and lead the debate on the role and responsibility of the media.”
Day one was climaxed by a banquet held by Burkina Faso’s new President R. Marc Kabore at the presidential lodge in Ouagadougou in honour of the participants.
In subsequent reports from Ouagadougou, we’ll be bringing you details of presentations on what’s responsible for the rise in Jihadist activities in countries like Niger, Mali and Nigeria with Boko Haram, among others.