VZCZCXRO6592
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0765 1821631
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301631Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0750
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS DAKAR 000765 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KPAO PINR SG
SUBJECT: SENEGAL: Journalists Beaten by Police 
 
SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) On June 21, 2008 two sports journalists, Boubabcar Dieng 
and Karamoko Thioune working for local radio stations were severely 
beaten by police after the conclusion of a soccer match between 
Liberia and Senegal.  According to reports the journalists were then 
taken into temporary on-site custody were they were further beaten. 
In response, Senegalese media have been protestng all week 
culminating with an extremely well atended march on Saturday 28. 
The Ministry of Intrior has announced that an investigation has 
been launched.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Following Senegal's victory over Liberia on Saturday 21 
June, Bouboucar Dieng, who works for the Youssou Ndour owned Radio 
Futurs Media (RFM,) wanted to interview the players of the 
Senegalese national soccer team in a press area that was designated 
for that purpose.  According to his account, the police would not 
let him near the players even after he identified himself as a 
journalist.  He then said that words were exchanged after which 
members of Multiple-Purpose Intervention Brigade (Brigade 
D'Intervention Polyvalante-BIP), who were assigned to protect the 
players, kicked him and then attacked with batons and tasers.  The 
reporter had the presence of mind to tape record his beating which 
was subsequently aired on local media outlets.  In a separate but 
similar incident in the same area, a reporter from West Africa 
Democracy Radio (WADR), Karamoko Thioune was also beaten by the 
police and hospitalized. 
 
¶3. (SBU) As a reaction to these acts of aggression Senegalese media 
from TV to Radio have been taking the government and the police 
force to task.  Multiple protests have taken place throughout the 
week in various cities across the country and many angry letters 
have been co-written by media and Human Rights organizations.  The 
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also sent a scathing letter 
to President Abdoulaye Wade accusing him of not doing enough to 
protect journalists and noting a sharp rise the number of reporters 
that have been beaten or arrested in the past year.  In a statement 
the Minister of Interior, Cheikh Tidiane Sy, said that he was 
launching a full investigation but underlined that no conclusion 
could be reached until all the evidence had been gathered.  However, 
the officers involved have been re-assigned to other duties.  In a 
similar statement the Minister of Information, Aliou Sow, said that 
he was awaiting the end of the investigation before deciding on how 
to proceed. 
 
¶4. (SBU) On Saturday 28, over ten thousand people took to the 
streets of Dakar to peacefully protest the beatings.  The protesters 
booed the police who were on the scene but there were no reports of 
violence.  In St Louis, local press staged a sit-in outside the 
Governor's office after which they submitted a document critical of 
both the police and the government. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) As was reported in the 2007 human rights report for 
Senegal, the harassment and arbitrary arrests and release of 
journalist were commonplace.  Since his re-election in 2007 the 
media has remained as one of the few challengers to President's 
growing authority.  That being said, the events of last week were 
probably a case of over-reaction by an amped-up police force.  Post 
will keep track of this case, and include it in the 2008 Human 
Rights Report, to see whether or not the government holds true to 
its word to fully investigate the matter.  Police are seldom jailed 
in Senegal for such acts and this case represents a test for both 
the government and Senegal's judiciary as unlike previous beatings 
this was not politically motivated.  Furthermore, many witnesses, 
including the Moroccan referee of the match, were present during the 
beatings and would most likely testify in favor of the victims. 
SMITH