Côte d'Ivoire-Burkina Faso/Security: Media, civil society and FDS from Liptako-Gourma and Côte d'Ivoire share experiences

The National Democratic Institute (NDI), in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), organized a regional media workshop on best practices for reporting on public security policies in the context of the Sahel crisis, on August 1-2, 2023, in Grand Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire.

The NDI (National Democratic Institute) aims to provide a forum for exchange between civil society organizations (CSOs) and the media (online and traditional) in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Niger. The aim is to enable them to discuss the challenges, issues and opportunities involved in covering security issues.

It was in Grand Bassam, scene of a terrorist attack in 2016, that the forty or so journalists, civil society players and government representatives came together to discuss their safety reporting missions.to discuss their role in informing and educating the public about the impact of the security crisis in the Sahel and its repercussions in Côte d'Ivoire. State institutions were represented by the media regulatory bodies of the five countries. For Côte d'Ivoire, the Ministry of Communication, the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the National Platform for Inter-religious Dialogue against Violent Extremism (PNDI-EV) took part in the proceedings.

Over the course of two days, a number of themes were raised and discussed in the form of panels and group work. These included freedom of expression in the face of multi-dimensional crisis; the media's contribution to the fight against false information; the identification of best practices for guaranteeing the media's freedom of action; the role of the media in the fight against terrorism; and the role of the media in the fight against terrorism.The role and responsibility of the media in the prevention of violent extremism; and strategies for effective collaboration with the SDF in information sharing.

"It was truly an ideal setting

Present at the opening ceremony, where he officially launched the proceedings, Jean Martial Adou, Director of Cabinet of the Ivorian Minister of Communication, invited participants to a synergy of action, because the central theme of the workshop highlights the importance of good practice in handling information in times of crisis. For him, the various countries present at the workshop are already confronted with violent extremism, so there is a need for trust and collaboration between the FDS and journalists.

According to Kevin Adomayakpor, Resident Director of NDI Burkina Faso, this is an important meeting, because "it launches a framework for multi-stakeholder collaboration to share best practices and try to advance our legislative frameworks and ensure that there is inclusive security governance".

NDI Burkina Faso invited journalists, a civil society player and a media regulator to share experiences. "It was truly an ideal setting, with army executives and security experts discussing the various notions of state secrecy. They also challenged us on our role, which is to seek out reliable sources and specialize," confided Mariam Sawadogo, a journalist with the public daily Sidwaya.

As for Enoch Kéré, Executive Secretary of the Groupe de recherche action sur la sécurité humaine (GRASH), he believes that this is a very meaningful workshop. "It's a framework that has enabled us to strengthen our understanding of the realities of journalism," he said.

At the end of the workshop, the media and CSOs from Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Niger decided to set up a regional platform for consultation and collaboration. The new organization, chaired by Côte d'Ivoire, is to be run on a rotating basis by a board comprising representatives from each country, and is expected to play a full role in supporting the population and promoting better security governance in the region.
Absent due to the closure of borders, the Niger delegation participated by videoconference.

Source: lefaso.net