The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) strongly condemns the assault on Kerfala Soumah, a journalist with Gnouma FM in Guinea, and calls on the authorities to ensure justice for the victim.
On May 18, 2024, Kerfala Soumah was attacked by Aly Manden Mansa Keita, the mayor of Sanoyah, a municipality in the capital Conakry, while filming a sanitation exercise. According to Soumah, the mayor who was supervising the clean-up exercise, forcibly seized his phone, damaged his headphones, and threw his muffler to the ground, in a sudden fit of temper.
Local media reported that Mayor Keita accused Soumah of being a spy rather than a legitimate journalist. He is said to have claimed that his victim had filmed him during a conversation with his neighbourhood chief rather than while he was working.
Following the intervention of the director of Gnouma FM, Soumah’s phone was returned, but only after all recorded footage had been deleted.
The attack has been met with widespread condemnation from the Guinean media community. The Syndicat des Professionnels de la Presse de Guinée (SPPG) denounced the violent actions of Mayor Keita.
The MFWA joins the Guinean media in condemning this attack on Soumah and calls for sanctions against Aly Manden Mansa Keita. Condoning such attacks on journalists encourages repetition and weakens efforts to combat impunity. We urge firm action to protect press freedom and ensure the safety of media professionals.
