Senegal Slams France 24: Bias in News Coverage
The France 24 television channel has been accused by Dakar of an “unethical, unbalanced, tendentious and subversive treatment” of the Senegalese political situation. In a press release published on July 8, the country demands that the French media “restore the truth and refrain from such practices in the future”.
The government of Senegal denounces the France 24 channel for its “tendentious and subversive” way of dealing with the country’s political news, revealed a press release published on July 8 signed by the ministry of communication.
In particular, this concerns the “insidious” media coverage of the demonstrations held in early June in the country, the document specifies.
The acts of unfair coverage alleged against France 24 go back in particular to the clashes between the police and supporters of the Senegalese opponent Ousmane Sonko, and the urban violence that followed.
Condemning “firmly” these practices, Senegal recalls that “the foreign press must remain subject to the same legal requirements as the national media which must in no way compromise with the truth”.
Finally, the government requires the French channel to be able to “restore the truth and to refrain in the future from damaging the reputation” of the country by these means.
June clashes in Senegal
Clashes erupted in neighborhoods in Dakar and other cities and universities across the country on June 2 in reaction to the sentencing of Ousmane Sonko, presidential candidate of 2024, to 2 years in prison for “corruption of youth “. This led to waves of violence causing massive destruction of various infrastructures.
Acquitted of the charges of rape and death threats against an employee, Ousmane Sonko was however sentenced to two years in prison for having pushed this young woman under 21 to “debauchery”.
Mr. Sonko had already received a six-month suspended prison sentence at the end of March for “defamation” against the Minister of Tourism.
This sentence alone, if it is upheld in cassation, threatens the eligibility of Ousmane Sonko for the presidential election of February 25, 2024. Previously, he expressed his wish to stand for election. For his part, the outgoing President, Macky Sall, announced at the beginning of July that he would not be a candidate.
This article is originally published on fr.sputniknews.africa
