“The diversity of opinion that is at the heart of any democratic project should be our beautiful wealth, and not a reason for division or exclusion. Thus, the African media will be the crucible of democracy building for our respective public opinion,” said the Minister who was speaking at the opening of the 6th General Assembly of the Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), inviting the African media to be “advocates of free opinion and guardians of sacred information”.
The African press, in all respects, “should get rid of the political blinkers inherited from another world,” he said, noting that “under the leadership of our media and our leaders, Africa is now the land of opportunity that is on the front page of all business magazines, because the Continent is full of potential that just need to be exploited wisely to make this century that of Africa”.
“It is up to you, women and men of the media, not to let at any time our people give in to the sirens of narrow identity, the main ally of extremism and harbinger of a bad future, especially since Africa’s main identity has been dialogue and openness,” he said.
“It is this message of hope and expectation that HM King Mohammed VI delivers through His high instructions and His permanent commitment to the service of the Continent,” noted Bensaid, recalling that the Kingdom, under the enlightened leadership of the Sovereign, has chosen an indelible commitment to the service of the African Continent, intra-African cooperation and an Africa that trusts Africa.
Through His action, HM the King has demonstrated that African solidarity is not a distant memory, that it responds to a reality and a need for development for the Continent, the Minister added.
He also stressed that this meeting is all the more important and relevant as it comes at the end of a global health crisis in which the media have played an important and crucial role that has highlighted the danger of the phenomenon of “fake news” and the centrality of traditional journalistic work.
