Following the scenes of physical and verbal violence in which a communal councilor from Ratoma town hall and police officers indulged on Saturday, April 8 against Sayon Camara of Africaguinee, the Executive Office issued a statement in which we asked the authorities to punish the perpetrators of this crime against the freedom of the press.
72 hours after our declaration dated April 9, the municipal administration of Ratoma sent us on Tuesday 11, a note by which the Mayor Alpha Oumar SACKO suspended the councilor Almamy SOUMAH who was until then the President of the mission of dismissal for failing to fulfill his responsibilities.
PTo examine this decision of the mayor, the executive office of the union met in extraordinary session this Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at the national headquarters of the union of Guinean press professionals (SPPG).
At the end of a truly democratic debate, the office underlined the historic nature of the act of the mayor which is a first in our country because in the past, the hierarchical leaders of our aggressors have always, if not generally, covered up these criminals with a guarantee of impunity; encouraging them to reoffend. As proof, none of the 25 liberticidal acts and actions recorded last year in the SPPG’s annual report on freedom of the press in Guinea have been the subject of disciplinary or administrative measures, let alone legal proceedings. This, despite our many writings addressed to some departments and ministries.
With the latest developments that we are seeing in this case, the SPPG office, which is already in contact with the parquet floor of the Dixinn court to initiate legal action this week, has, for the moment, decided to slow down the procedure. while waiting to see what will be the approach of the police hierarchy vis-à-vis the agents involved.
The SPPG invites all the civil and military authorities of the country to be inspired by the example of Mayor SACKO. In other words, to break with the bad habits of the past.
Finally, we welcome and encourage the positive reaction of the parquet floor of the Dixinn court with which we have been in contact since the weekend of April 8.
As indicated above, we remind you that the SPPG has not yet made a final decision in this case. We have simply deemed it necessary to slow down the procedure for the moment while waiting to observe the hierarchy of the police who absolutely must also take sanctions to prevent some elements from tarnishing the image of the entire police institution.
–Long live the SPPG!
– Long live freedom of the press!
-Comrades Hi!
Conakry, April 13, 2023
National Office