Non à cette maladroite “désonkorisation” dans le JT de la RTS ! , ( Par Abibou Mbaye)
Information is a right. Regardless of political affiliation, RTS must not allow us to relive the same mistakes as when Ousmane Sonko was arrested and journalist Rouguiyatou Ba refused to read an unsigned statement on the 8 p.m. news. This refusal earned her a very harsh and unjust punishment. She subsequently left RTS upon the arrival of Pape Alé Niang, who dragged his feet before reinstating her.
Today, RTS, under the leadership of its current Director General, Pape Alé Niang, has once again distinguished itself in the most despicable way by maintaining a complete blackout on the dismissal of Ousmane Sonko during the 8 PM news broadcast on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Yet, the event occurred the previous day and received no journalistic coverage whatsoever on RTS. During the 1 PM news broadcast that same day, a simple and banal reading of the press release by the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic was performed, before the presenter promised to "return to our next editions to discuss this in more detail." This never happened. What a lack of professional and ethical judgment on the part of RTS!
Even worse, Radio Senegal reportedly ordered the cancellation of its special broadcast on Ousmane Sonko's dismissal, at the very moment when Senegalese citizens were freely expressing their opinions on the matter, as is standard practice on all other radio and television stations in similar circumstances. This decision by the RTS (Senegal's national broadcasting organization) was carried out "vilely" and "shamelessly" by some unknown official at the station, which is nevertheless full of media professionals who should not stoop so low as to engage in such dirty work.
Even if the order came from the Head of State—which I highly doubt—or from the newly appointed Minister and Spokesperson for the Presidency, Abdoulaye Tine, who would then be making his "baptism of fire" with this, or perhaps even from the Minister of Communication, Aliou Sall, nothing could justify such a failure. If this decision stems solely from the whim of the Director General of RTS, Pape Alé Niang, it would demonstrate a serious incompetence as well as a lack of understanding of the right to information and the fundamental role that RTS must play in disseminating information.
Faced with such a media blunder, one is entitled to wonder what the Director General of RTS, Pape Alé Niang, is really up to, given his well-known close ties to Ousmane Sonko. If his aim is to curry favor with the Diomaye President coalition and try to gain their support in order to maintain his position, he is in vain. The President of the Republic is intelligent enough, possesses genuine discernment, and is well-informed about the realities of RTS. One can only hope that he will not repeat the mistake of the previous regime under Macky Sall, which kept Racine Talla, his relative, in his position for twelve years marked by dictatorship, union ostracism, arbitrary appointments, and injustice—all stigmas still visible today.
Poor Senegal, which experienced "de-Engorodization" under Abdou Diouf, "de-Wadization" under Macky Sall, and then the beginnings of "de-Mackyization" under Diomaye. To attempt such a rapid "de-Sonkoization" in such a short time ultimately vindicates Ousmane Sonko, who, unfortunately, threw down the microphone at RTS in the middle of an election campaign to denounce a public channel that, in fact, never covered any of the activities of the opposition leader he was at the time.
No journalist, no authority at RTS should allow this institution to relapse into such censorship practices, which we had hoped would never be repeated under the current Director General. RTS is a public good, and the public expects professional, impartial, and responsible reporting from us. For the Director General of RTS to disregard this is tantamount to validating those who claim that "the role of Director General is too big for Pape Alé Niang," because not just anyone can be a manager. One can loudly proclaim one's status as a journalist, but the stature of an information professional is built over time and through daily actions.
Abibou Mbaye
Journalist, former head of the Information Department
trade unionist and staff representative at RTS »
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