Speech of National Assembly Member Guy Marius Sagna to the
protest sit-in at Walf TV on 19 March.2023
The protest weas called in response to the jailing without
bail of Pape Ndiaye, court reporter at the Walfadjri (Walf) TV media group,
pending judicial investigation (see our article).
“Thank you all. Thank you for the invitation to attend, but
I didn’t need an invitation to attend, and I didn’t need a speaking slot to
attend. I would have been here regardless.
Last Monday I visited Pape Ndiaye’s family, I know he is
watching this from his prison cell and I want him to know I met a family with
courage and dignity, a mother and a wife who are examples of strength. They
know you didn’t embezzle millions, you didn’t caught with counterfeit bank notes, you didn’t lay your hands on the COVID
19 funds. The only reason that you, Pape Ndiaye are in prison is because of
victimisation by president Macky Sall, a victimisation which is also aimed at the
whole of WalFadjri. As I have said before, it is the WalFadjri editorial line
that Macky Sall does not want to see, and wants to silence at all costs. What Macky
Sall wants in Senegal is a cowed, passive, and subservient press. He wants a press
that does not speak the truth through the fear of God, but instead speaks from the
desire of money, he wants journalists who don’t speak for the people, but who
speak for financial rewards. Pape Ndiaye and Walf’s mission is to inform people
of the truth, true information for the fear of God and for the people, and cannot
be bought with money to provide false news.
The reason for me to be here today is the same as for of all
of you, for the immediate liberation of Pape Ndiaye. We all know that if Pape
Ndiaye had been working for GFM (pro-government media house owned by Youssou
Ndour close ally of president Macky Sall) he would not be in imprisoned. There
is a point at which we must speak the truth to ourselves, I have nothing
against Papis Diaw of the group GFM, but we need to compare treatment. Pape
Ndiaye spoke out, but Papis Diaw (GFM journalist) knocked someone over whilst
driving in a drunken state, breaking the drink driving law and in the process
causing physical harm to someone. Papis was released under judicial supervision.
Pape Ndiaye was sent to prison pending investigation. Is that right and just?
So in this country there is a system of “Pape Ndiaye has no mother” but “Papis
has a mother”, one rule for one but another rule for the other. This is the truth
and represents a danger, even for my friends the workers at GFM. What scandalous,
flagrant injustice!
If Pape Ndiaye worked
for GFM he would not be in prison, look at Ndiaga Ndour, Technical Director of
GFM, charged with “frequency theft” and theft of electricity, what happened? Released
under judicial supervision. Is Pape Ndiaye not a Senegalese citizen? Why can he
not benefit from the same dispensation? Why is he victimised? This is a blatant
abuse of power. This is why we say he must be freed.
I end by saying that at the time we arrived at this
demonstration today we heard that Police Criminal Investigation Department
(DIC) had summonsed Cheikh Oumar Diagne (Civil society movement leader recently
released from prison). We all heard that Abdou Karim Gueye (Civil society
movement leader also recently released from prison) has been summoned by the DIC.
What has happened to the press is now happening to civil
society movments , is happening to Political
parties and their members. What is happening to the press is what is happening to
the peasant farmers who protest the theft of their land. What is happening to
the press is what is happening to villagers who do not agree to the privatization
of their boreholes.
Yes this struggle is the struggle of journalists, but there
is a point at which it cannot only be the struggle of journalists. The is a
point in time where we can no longer say that that is the press’s concern, or that
is the concern of a particular political party, but there is a moment when we
all need to stand together and say it is all of our concern.
The truth is that the person who imprisoned Pape Ndiaye, who
cut the broadcasting signal to Walf, is the same one who gassed and tried to liquidate
Ousmane Sonko (opposition leader), the one who imprisoned Pape Ndiaye is the
one depriving the farmers of their lands, the one who imprisoned Pape Ndiaye is
the one oppressing the students.
So what should be our duty? For each one to go their separate
ways or for us all to come together? Our duty is to come together and unite!
Even if Pape Ndiaye was freed today, there is every possibility.
that before the end of next month they would re-arrest him, because what imprisoned
him is still here, Pape Ale Niang (formerly imprisoned journalist, released on
bail after a long hunger strike) is not yet out of the woods, it is very
possible that before 2024 he will again be imprisoned. The only way to
guarantee Pape Ndiaye’s freedom, and the freedom of the press, is to get rid of
the one who is attacking their rights. The only way to ensure the freedoms of
opposition parties is to get rid of the one restricting those freedoms, the
only way to protect the farmers and pastoralists is to remove the one taking
away their lands, rights and livelihoods.
The only way is for the constitutional and democratic
departure of Mack Sall.
Macky Sall must go!
Thank you”
