Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – In a decisive affirmation of press freedom, the Administrative Chamber of Senegal’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned two controversial decrees issued by the Ministry of Communication, marking a significant setback to the authorities’ attempts to exert control over the country’s media landscape.
The court annulled Decree No. 017412 of July 29, 2024, which mandated the compulsory registration of press companies through a digital platform, and Decree No. 024462 of October 1, 2024, which established the Commission for the Examination and Validation of Press Companies.
Both measures had been central to the ministry’s effort to regulate and, critics argue, tighten its grip on media operations.
The rulings, confirmed by the Coordination of Press Broadcasters and Publishers of Senegal (CDEPS), invalidate all measures taken under the decrees, including the creation of the registration platform, the formation of the validation commission, and the submission of applications to the Press Support and Development Fund (FADP).
Lawyers representing CDEPS warned that the decrees risked the “misappropriation of objectives” and the unlawful distribution of public funds outside established media structures such as the Press House and the National Press Card Commission.
“This decision is a clear reinforcement of our rule of law and demonstrates the resilience of Senegal’s institutions in defending press freedom,” said Cheikh Ahmadou Ndiaye, CDEPS’ legal counsel. He added that the court’s intervention underscores the judiciary’s role as “the best bulwark against all authoritarian excesses.”
The Supreme Court had previously suspended a ban targeting 381 media outlets, signaling continued resistance to unilateral ministerial actions aimed at suppressing the private press.
According to CDEPS, such measures, since the start of Senegal’s third political transition, had included fiscal pressures, termination of advertising contracts, signal interruptions, and blocked subsidies, leaving journalists and their families in precarious conditions.
With Thursday’s ruling, Senegal’s press community hails the decision as a critical defense of media independence, reinforcing a system designed to resist attempts at authoritarian control and ensure freedom of expression remains central to the country’s democratic framework.
