In a powerful declaration of purpose, Seini Seydou Zakaria, President of the Consortium of Journalists for Peace and Security in the Sahel Alliance of States (CJPS-AES), affirmed that the region’s media has become a “tool for peace, resistance, and collective liberation.” The remarks came during a press briefing held in Niamey on Monday, July 14, 2025.
Addressing the press corps, Zakaria underscored the pivotal role Sahelian journalists have played since the political shift that followed the July 26, 2023 military takeover by Niger’s National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
“The country has begun an unprecedented process of rebuilding the State,” Zakaria noted, describing the period as one of “historical upheaval.”
He commended the transitional authorities for what he called “significant progress” in under two years, despite facing “diplomatic pressure, unfair sanctions, and disinformation campaigns.”
According to Zakaria, the CNSP has “demonstrated its ability to govern, secure the territory, and restore hope in the hearts of a people who have been forgotten for too long.”
Highlighting the role of the media in this broader national struggle, Zakaria praised Sahelian journalists as defenders of truth amid international media narratives he described as “biased” and “alarmist.”
“The Sahelian press has held firm, carried by women and men committed to the truth, professional ethics, and the higher interests of the nation,” he said.
Zakaria lauded journalists for amplifying the voices of populations “ignored by diplomatic agendas,” for challenging media manipulation, and for helping citizens understand the reforms and strategies of transitional governments.
“They are the guarantors of social peace, advocating national unity, intercommunity cohesion, and inclusive dialogue,” he added.
The CJPS-AES called on all media practitioners, journalism schools, and development partners to rally behind what Zakaria termed a “journalism of resistance, resilience, and reconstruction.”
“In a world where information has become a weapon,” he declared, “we have chosen to make journalism a tool for peace, resistance, and collective liberation.”
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