(press release)
Eleven years after the assassination of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Kidal, northern Mali, RFI awarded the scholarship bearing their names on Saturday, November 2, in Benin, the scholarship bearing their names to Victoire Andrène OMBI, journalist and presenter at Radio Mucodec (Republic of Congo), and Daouda KONATÉ, technician at Radio Communale de Katiola (Ivory Coast). They will receive four weeks of training in Paris, fully funded, during the first quarter of 2025.
This eleventh edition of the Exchange, open to 25 French-speaking African countries*, was held in Benin. Twenty young professionals (10 reporting technicians and 10 journalists) from 12 countries were selected from among 370 applicants. All of them received training at the premises of SRTB (Société de Radio et Télévision du Bénin), a partner in this edition, delivered over two weeks by Rachel Locatelli, head of training at RFI, and Muriel Pomponne, editor-in-chief at RFI.
At the end of the training, the journalist candidates were asked to produce a report on the theme of "Dialogue and tolerance," while the technician candidates prepared an audio report on "income-generating activities in Benin."
The winners were chosen unanimously by the jury:
Victoire Andrène OMBI, 25, originally from the Republic of Congo, holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville. She is currently a presenter at Radio Mucodec. She produced a report on dance as therapy. The jury praised "the originality of the subject, the quality of the interviews, and the mastery of a difficult topic, with a production in which the journalist takes a back seat to the testimonials."
Daouda KONATÉ, 33, originally from Côte d'Ivoire, is self-taught, a technician at Radio Communale de Katiola, and a web developer. His report, "Les Tisserands d'Abomey" (The Weavers of Abomey), immerses listeners in the world of artisans and their working conditions. The jury praised "the diversity and subtlety of the sounds, the quality of the editorial structure, all supported by a beautiful melody."
The reports by the two scholarship winners will be broadcast on Saturday, November 2, in the evening news and on Sunday, November 3, in "Afrique matin" on RFI. These reports are also published on rfi.fr, along with an article and a video dedicated to the 11th "Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship" award ceremony.
On the occasion of this eleventh edition, a "Prize from the Association of Friends of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon" was created and awarded to two deserving candidates who did not receive the scholarship, offering them equipment, including a computer. This year, the prize was awarded to Marie-Noëlle DJOUBODI, 30, from Cameroon, sound technician at CRTV Extrême Nord Maroua, and Michel CYALA BENGANKUNA, 27, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), journalist and editorial secretary at Radio Ditunga in Ngandajika (Lomami province).
The jury was chaired by Jean-Marc Four, director of RFI, and comprised Cécile Mégie, director of cross-media strategies and partnerships at France Médias Monde, Benjamin Avayou, deputy head of mobile and video resources at RFI, Vincent Hugeux, senior reporter and lecturer at the Sciences Po School of Journalism, Stéphanie Rabourdin, deputy director of the INA Campus General Management, Jean Luc Aplogan, RFI correspondent in Benin, Emmanuelle Sodji, France 24 correspondent in Benin, and Georges Amlon, journalist, trainer, former editor-in-chief and director general of ORTB (Benin Radio and Television Broadcasting Authority).
The two trainers, Muriel Pomponne, editor-in-chief at RFI, Rachel Locatelli, head of internal training at RFI, and Daniele Gonod, president of the Association des Amis de Ghislaine Dupont et de Claude Verlon, also attended the deliberation sessions.
Find the "Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship" on social media using the hashtag #BourseDupontVerlon.
* Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Seychelles, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, and Rwanda.