The founder of the French-language version of the Africa Check website is taking charge of the organization's first office in sub-Saharan Africa.
A graduate of the Centre for Studies in Information Science and Technology (CESTI) in Dakar and the Cardiff University School of Journalism, Assane Diagne was editor-in-chief at the Senegalese Press Agency before founding Africa Check in Dakar, which has become the leading fact-checking website in French-speaking Africa. He has been its editor-in-chief since October 2015. "We are proud to welcome Assane to the organization," said Christophe Deloire, RSF's secretary-general. "With his wealth of experience, Assane has all the legitimacy and qualities required to successfully develop RSF's first office in sub-Saharan Africa. He brings unique expertise that will benefit the entire RSF team worldwide."
The Dakar office's missions include advocating for press freedom, supporting local actors, and promoting the organization's priorities in the region. The Dakar office covers 12 West African countries (Senegal, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Benin). Within the programs department, it complements the work of the Africa desk headed by Arnaud Froger at RSF's headquarters in Paris.
RSF is consolidating and continuing its development. The Dakar office is the first opened by RSF in sub-Saharan Africa. It is part of RSF's decentralization strategy, which now includes 13 regional and national offices as well as correspondents and representatives in 130 countries.
Check out: Interview with Assane Diagne, Editor-in-Chief of Africa Check – Francophone
Source: press release