The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply concerned about the nationwide ban imposed on the investigative news website Depecheguinee.com by Guinea’s High Authority for Communication (HAC).
The decision, dated January 27, 2025, was publicly announced the following day on national television. It followed the publication of an opinion article by a contributor named Samir Moussa, titled “Guinea: Mamadi Doumbouya or the Curse of Power”, which the HAC described as containing elements of “incitement to insurrection and disruption of public order.”
Depecheguinee.com, founded by investigative journalist Abdoul Latif Diallo, is known for its reports on corruption, bribery, and other forms of misconduct within the Guinean administration. The HAC also cited Diallo’s unavailability during the review of the article as a factor in its decision.
The outlet had previously been suspended in January 2024 for nine months, and the recent article was described by the HAC as “the last straw.” Following repeated sanctions by the media regulator, Diallo has reportedly gone into exile.
Over the past two years, the Guinean government has escalated its crackdown on dissenting voices. The suspension of multiple media outlets critical of the authorities has contributed to growing concern over shrinking civic space in the country. These developments have been accompanied by reports of arbitrary arrests and the disappearances of outspoken individuals, sending a chilling message to independent media practitioners.
The MFWA regrets the HAC’s decision to ban Depecheguinee.com and urges the authority to reconsider what it views as an excessive measure aimed at silencing critical voices within Guinea’s media landscape.
