Rabat, 06/10/2022 (MAP) – The 6th General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), which kicked off Thursday in Rabat, will be a new milestone in the consolidation and pooling of efforts of African news agencies, said vice president of the Federation, Oumou Barry Sana.
This first post-Covid meeting also provides an opportunity for the establishment of real partnerships between news agencies of the Continent, added Barry Sana who was speaking at the opening ceremony of this General Assembly, noting that this meeting is « a model for South-South cooperation.
She also noted that this meeting aims to give a new dynamic to this professional grouping and to deepen the reflection on the future of African news agencies, as well as on the strategic choices to be adopted in order to promote and ensure the performance aimed at their development and their influence at the African and international levels.
Barry Sana, also Central Director of the Ivorian News Agency (AIP), also said that the important and relevant theme chosen for the inaugural seminar of this GA namely « post-Covid 19: challenges and opportunities for African news agencies », will undoubtedly allow the various participants and decision makers to identify strategic avenues for the development of African news agencies, in light of the advice and approaches that will be shared by experts and media consultants who will intervene during this seminar.
She also stressed that African news agencies, which are facing major challenges in terms of strategic choices, have now become aware of the need to advocate new approaches aimed at research and development of a new business model, especially after having suffered the full force of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has heavily impacted the press sector and has strongly challenged the mode of work and the system of traditional organization.
The place that FAAPA occupies today in the African media landscape is increasingly strengthened in a process of development and innovation, despite the difficult financial context faced by most African news agencies, she said, recalling, in this regard, that the « Casablanca Call », launched on the day of the creation of FAAPA on October 14, 2014, has allowed African news agencies to contractualize the relationships that bind them to their respective states.
Barry Sana also expressed her deep gratitude and thanks to the FAAPA president and Director General of the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, for the efforts made to ensure the success of this General Assembly.
For his part, secretary general of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN), Georges Penintaex, said that the Alliance always seeks to maintain close relations with FAAPA, stressing the importance of cooperation, solidarity and unity to meet the challenges of today.
Secretary general of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA), Farid Ayar, said that his participation in this GA is a good opportunity to exchange with the heads of African news agencies on ways to strengthen cooperation with Arab news agencies.
For his part, Younus Inayat, director of Strategic Relations and Development at the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said that the African continent occupies a prominent place in the Union, which has several African countries among its members.
The opening ceremony of this General Assembly was marked by the projection of an institutional film on the actions undertaken and activities organized by FAAPA since its creation.
