In Senegal, one of the promises of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the day after his election, was to protect whistleblowers who participate in the fight for transparency. He instructed the Minister of Justice to propose a bill by May 15, good news for the Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa which is fighting to have their role recognized and establish a legal framework around two.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Dakar, Juliette Dubois
If around ten countries in English-speaking Africa already have a law protecting whistleblowers, Senegal would be a first in French-speaking Africa.
Setting up this type of mechanism is essential, according to the platform for the protection of whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) because these people often find themselves harassed, threatened or forced into exile.
This is the case of Jean-Jacques Lumumba who denounced acts of corruption within the bank in which he worked, in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “ At one point, trying to fight me internally, my general manager, at the time, was very powerful. He clearly threatened to kill me. The events, which began in the bank and which had political implications, pushed me and my little family into exile. My brother and my sister unfortunately also ended up in exile », Details the banker and whistleblower.
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This is also the case ofAmadou Traoré in Mali who alerted to the trafficking of rosewood in his country and also had to go into exile.
The Association made a series of recommendations to the President and the Minister of Justice. First of all, a clear definition of the whistleblower who is not a journalist but a person who denounces facts within the structure where he works as well as other avenues for reflection.
“ A clear definition of the scope of whistleblowing. Which entities are affected? “, underlines Jimmy Kande, director of PPLAAF in French-speaking Africa, who questions the measures to help whistleblowers: ” Reporting channels should be put in place to protect them. What financial mechanisms will be put in place to help the whistleblower? What mechanisms will be put in place to protect his family? »
Jimmy Kande hopes that such a law, if passed, could be emulated in West Africa.
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