Benin: Aurélie Adam Soulé Zoumarou’s first words to media professionals

The Minister of Communication in charge of Media, Aurélie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, sent a message to Beninese media professionals on Sunday, May 31, following her participation on May 28 in the first Council of Ministers under Romuald Wadagni’s mandate. “To the teams at the ministry, to media professionals, and to all sector actors, I want to say this: the challenges are great, but our commitment and determination are even greater,” she stated, concluding with the phrase: “Let’s get to work!”

The minister specified that the development of the media sector should contribute to the well-being of the population and align with President Wadagni’s vision. She cited the rapid evolution of information technologies, digital transformation, and the growing demands for professionalism and credibility of information among the department’s challenges.

Adam Soulé Zoumarou heads a ministry that has been re-established after five years of absence. Patrice Talon abolished it in 2021 by transferring media oversight to the HAAC. Its return was welcomed on May 25 by CNPA-Bénin and UPMB, the two main organizations in the sector, which described it as a “historic decision.” The minister has not yet outlined her programmatic priorities or her agenda for the most sensitive issues. The lifting of the suspension of La Gazette du Golfe, closed since August 2023 by the HAAC, tops the list of requests made to the Wadagni government by RSF. The revision of Article 550 of the Digital Code, which criminalizes the dissemination of “false information,” is the second issue identified by Amnesty International and Internet Without Borders.