Togo on the Brink: Prefect’s Power Play Sparks Fear Among Journalists in Dapaong

It has become almost a habit in the Savanes region in recent years: the intervention of local authorities in media matters. Replacing the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (HAAC), the only organization competent in matters of media regulation in Togo, some figures of local power constantly try to impose their control, endangering the freedom of the press. A situation that further complicates the work of journalists, especially in the interior regions of the country.

The incident happened in the evening on October 22, 2024 in Dapaong, Tône assumption. Like every Tuesday, the show “7 Jours en 1” took place on Courtoisie FM radio.

This argument, presented by Mohamed Koundoungouincludes local, national and international news. That day, the question of traditional headship entered the debates, and more precisely the case of the canton of Pana, led by the regents for more than 25 years.

In December 2022, Damigou Boni was elected head of the canton, but his election was annulled a few months later. It is clear that this subject, which was discussed on the set of Courtoisie FM, was not to the taste of the Tône officer, Tchimbiandja Douti Yendoukoa.

The officer quickly responded by calling the radio director, ordering her to stop the broadcast immediately. At the same time, the commander of the Savanes gendarmerie group Colonel also contacted the director, claiming that the officer had contacted them to interrupt the broadcast and threatened to bring his men to the studio.

According to several sources, this is not the first time that a Tône official has intervened in such a muscular manner against Radio Courtoisie or other media in the region. Several local journalists confirm that he has already proven his authority.

Unfortunately, this situation is not an isolated one. Other officials in the Savanes region, supported by the gendarmerie, are particularly hostile towards the press. Meanwhile, the HAAC, the body authorized to deal with such cases, observes a worrying silence.

The excess of zeal of some officials, such as that of Tône, endangers the freedom of the press, which should be protected and regulated by the HAAC, not by local authorities. The latter, instead of directly attacking journalists, should limit themselves to reporting their complaints to the competent institution.

This interference threatens not only the proper functioning of the media in the region, but also the public’s right to free, independent information.

source: alternative.info