French-speaking Africa

Francophone Africa refers to all African countries that share the French language. This includes more than 18 contiguous countries where French is used as an official and/or lingua franca. These countries span a vast territory, covering nearly half of the African continent—approximately 5,000 kilometers from north to south and about 4,000 kilometers from east to west (from Tangier in northern Morocco to Lubumbashi in the southern DRC). In 2018, the number of African Francophones in 31 countries and territories of Francophone Africa was estimated at approximately 140 million. French arrived in Africa with colonization by France and Belgium, and these African Francophones now make up the largest part of the Francophonie. Feel free to reach out if you need more information! 😊

FOMECAF is launching a partnership with AbR and establishing a news agency

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The fourth Lomé meeting was held in the Togolese capital from November 22 to 26. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, about 50 representatives from French-speaking Christian media outlets were able to attend the event in person. Some 500 people logged on to the Internet to follow the event either in part or in its entirety. Olivia Beugre of Côte d’Ivoire provided an update on FOMECAF’s activities during the closing ceremony. Echos.

“The continued success of our forum is only possible with the support of each and every one of you!” It was with these words that Olivia Beugre concluded her summary at the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Lomé Meetings, held from November 22 to 26. The editor-in-chief of Radio La Voix de l’Espérance in Abidjan welcomed the approximately 50 journalists, radio hosts, and station directors in attendance, representing 13 French-speaking African countries. In addition, some 500 people logged in via Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook to follow the presentations, which focused in particular on the theme: “Media and the Generational Divide.”

Develop a partnership with AbR

Speaking on behalf of the ten or so leaders of the Francophone African Christian Media Forum (FOMECAF), Olivia Beugre outlined some prospects for future joint activities. First, there will be a partnership with AbR Media, a primarily English-language media network that offers support to Christian radio stations across the African continent.

The radio host from La Voix de l’espérance also noted that Dodji Juliette Kpessou of Radio Hosanna in Porto-Novo (Benin) and Benjamin Holl of Radio Vie nouvelle in Douala (Cameroon) would be taking over the management of the news agency, which publishes various written and radio contributions on the FOMECAF website. They will be supported by Joseph Ykio Gnahoua and Franceline Sehi from Côte d’Ivoire.

Promote the “New Life” satellite radio station

FOMECAF officials have also decided to promote the French-language satellite radio station “Nouvelle vie” within their organization, in order to enable the rebroadcast of programs aired by this partner. In addition, a library of web radio stations will be made available online to facilitate the rebroadcast of certain programs that might be of interest to local radio stations, which sometimes lack original content.

From a structural standpoint, Olivia Beugre also noted that a transitional body would be established to better involve Africans in the organization of FOMECAF meetings and training programs.

An award presented to Abdoulaye Cissé, radio director in Timbuktu

At the end of the closing ceremony, Emmanuel Ziehli presented the François Sergy Award to Abdoulaye Cissé, director of Radio Tahanint (Mercy) in Timbuktu, Mali. A pastor in the Evangelical Baptist Church of Timbuktu, Abdoulaye has distinguished himself through his courage in continuing his work of Christian witness in an environment particularly threatened by radical Islam. In 2012, after the radio station was ransacked, Abdoulaye’s home was also ransacked. In 2017, three young people were murdered in front of Radio Tahanint, including two of the station’s hosts. In addition to his radio and pastoral activities, Abdoulaye Cissé also broadcasts Christian programs on some 40 radio stations in northern Mali, which he pays for. (c)

Sidebar

The Lomé Meetings at a Glance

The “Lomé” meetings were launched in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to participate in a week-long training program and to network in order to foster dialogue among professionals from different countries.

In January 2019, the organization Radio Réveil en Suisse, which produces radio programs for the entire French-speaking world, decided—on the occasion of its 70th anniversary—to invite its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé. About 100 people took part in the event and signed the Lomé Declaration of Lomé. The signatories committed to ending competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pooling resources to improve the quality of their programs.

At the second edition of the Lomé Meetings, the approximately 170 participants engaged in a discussion on the theme “Let’s Invent Integral Radio!” They also decided to create the Forum of Christian Media in Francophone Africa (FOMECAF), with the following members on the founding committee: Olivia Adiko, journalist and editor-in-chief of *La Voix de l’espérance* (Ivory Coast); Dr. Alphonse Teyabe, communications consultant (Cameroon); Timothée Amegan, pastor and executive director of Médiafrique (Togo), and Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil (Switzerland).

In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lomé 3 invited about 50 in-person participants and about 100 online participants to explore the topic of “Media Convergence and Versatility in the Workplace.”

The Lomé 1 Report

The Lomé 2 Report

The Lomé 3 Report

Current members of the FOMECAF committee

The following individuals are members of the FOMECAF core network or committee: Olivia Adiko Beugre (Radio la Voix de l’Espérance; Abidjan), Dodji Juliette Kpessou (Radio Hosanna, Porto-Novo), Dr. Augustin Ahoga (theologian and anthropologist, Benin), Timothée Amegan (Médiafrique, Lomé), Illia Djadi (Open Doors, London), Blaise Gaïtou, director of JEM Niger, Benjamin Holl (Radio Vie nouvelle, Douala), Etienne Kiemdé (Radio Évangile et développement, Ouagadougou), Koffi Ahonon (CICERI and Compassion, Lomé), Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR, Abidjan), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe (media consultant, Douala), and Emmanuel Ziehli (Radio Réveil France).

About:

Francophone African Christian Media Forum https://medias.africa/

Radio Réveil Switzerland and France https://radioreveil.ch/ | https://radio-reveil.org/

AbR Media South Africa: https://abrmedia.org/

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French-speaking Africa: From November 22 to 26, Lomé 4 will focus on the theme “Youth and the Media”

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Press Release

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, FOMECAF officials have decided to hold the fourth edition of the Lomé Meetings from November 22 to 26, 2021. The event will focus on the theme “Youth and the Media” and will feature Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho, director of TWR Africa, as the keynote speaker. The event will be streamed publicly online, though the number of in-person participants will be limited to about 50.

Registration is now open for the Lomé 4 seminar

The fourth annual gathering of Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa will take place November 22–26, 2021, in Lomé. The theme will be “Youth and the Media.” “We are seeing a generational divide in the French-speaking Christian world in Africa,” explains Pastor Etienne Kiemdé, director of Radio Évangile Développement in Burkina Faso. “The older generation no longer speaks the language, listens to the music, or uses the communication tools of young people—63% of whom are under 24 in West Africa!(1)” For many Christian leaders, the risk of failing to pass on the faith is now very high. “It’s time to reach out to young Africans, and it’s up to radio to lead by example,” adds Pastor Etienne Kiemdé.

Etienne Kiemdé (left, FOMECAF) and Abdoulaye Sangho (TWR speaker at Lomé 4) flank Emmanuel Ziehli (Radio Réveil France).

Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho as the keynote speaker

Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho, director of TWR Africa and a recognized and leading figure in the African Christian radio landscape, was unanimously selected as the keynote speaker. Dr. Abdoulaye Sangho, originally from Mali, lives and works in Côte d’Ivoire. He is the author of several books. He has also been awarded the rank of Commander of the National Order for his contribution to the development of the Christian faith in Côte d’Ivoire.

Number of speakers recorded on video

Lomé 4 will be similar to Lomé 3. Fifty (50) carefully selected participants will be invited to attend in person for plenary sessions and workshops. These sessions will be broadcast live and on-demand on the various social media channels of FOMECAF (Forum of Christian Media in Francophone Africa), particularly Facebook and YouTube. For the record, about 100 people participated in these training sessions online in 2020.

The afternoons will provide an opportunity for FOMECAF leaders to continue laying the groundwork for the forum’s activities and to develop a program for 2022.

Most of the speakers will be recorded on video. In this way, they will continue to contribute to the radio and press training video library launched in 2020 by the previous edition of the Lomé meetings (2).

Despite the difficult health situation

The decision to hold Lomé 4 was made by FOMECAF leaders who met via videoconference on Friday, July 30. They assessed the health situation in West and Central Africa as well as in Europe. For the time being, travel remains very difficult and particularly expensive due to the pandemic. Despite this, the FOMECAF leadership confirmed that Lomé 4 will take place and has reasonably postponed the “FOMECAF Benin” national event until spring 2022. FOMECAF leaders have entrusted CICERI Lomé and Radio Réveil France—specifically Messrs. Koffi Ahonon and Emmanuel Ziehli—with the task of organizing the event. (c)

The FOMECAF (Forum of Christian Media in French-Speaking Africa) website: https://medias.africa/

More information:

Africa: Pastor Étienne Kiemdé, director of Radio Évangile Développement in Burkina Faso. Tel. +226 70 38 81 83. Email: ekiem1[at]gmail.com. Website: https://medias.africa/

Europe: ÉEmmanuel Ziehli, Director of Radio Réveil France. Phone: +33 06 52 02 89 42. Email: emmanuel.ziehli[at]radioreveil.ch. Website: https://radio-reveil.org/

Notes:

1 See: https://www.populationpyramid.net/sources
2 See: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkEVvei_tLkEfTaJn31DTsQ/playlists

Sidebar
The Lomé Meetings at a Glance

The “Lomé” meetings were launched in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to participate in a week-long training program and to “network” in order to foster dialogue among professionals from different countries.

In January 2019, the organization Radio Réveil en Suisse, which produces radio programs for the entire French-speaking world, decided—to mark its 70th anniversary—to invite its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé. About 100 people took part in the event and signed the Declaration of Lomé. The signatories committed to ending competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pooling resources to improve the quality of their programs.

At the second edition of the Lomé Meetings, the approximately 170 participants engaged in a discussion on the theme “Let’s Invent Integral Radio!” They also decided to create the Forum of Christian Media in Francophone Africa (FOMECAF), with the following members on the founding committee: Olivia Adiko, journalist and editor-in-chief of La Voix de l’espérance (Ivory Coast); Dr. Alphonse Teyabe, communications consultant (Cameroon); Timothée Amegan, pastor and executive director of Médiafrique (Togo), and Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil (Switzerland).

In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lomé 3 offered a series of discussions on “Media Convergence and the Versatility of Professions” to about 50 in-person participants and about 100 online participants.

The Lomé 1 report: https://bit.ly/lome-1 
The Lomé 2 report: https://bit.ly/lome-deux 
The Lomé 3 report: https://bit.ly/Lome3 

Sidebar
Members of the FOMECAF Committee

The following individuals are members of the FOMECAF core network or steering committee: Olivia Adiko Beugre(Radio la Voix de l’Espérance, Abidjan), Timothée Amegan(Médiafrique, Lomé), Etienne Kiemdé(Radio Évangile et Développement, Ouagadougou), Koffi Ahonon(CICERI and Compassion Togo, Lomé), Dr.Abdoulaye Sangho(TWR, Abidjan), Dr. Alphonse Teyabe(media consultant, Yaoundé), and Emmanuel Ziehli(Radio Réveil France).

Download the Press Release as a PDF
Registration is now open for the Lomé 4 seminar
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FOMECAF to Host Two Online Meetings in May

Lomé, May 21, 2021,

With the aim of strengthening ties among members and continuing the training sessions that began in Lomé, FOMECAF is organizing two online meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 25 and 26, 2021.

What's on the agenda:

Tuesday, May 25, 2:00 p.m. GMT:

The Principles of Effective Communication

Loosely based on Valérie Geller’s bestseller *Puissance radio*. Some of the topics that will be covered:

  • Tell the Truth (Fact-Checking)
  • Give the listener good reasons to listen to you
  • Never be boring
  • Use vivid language so that the listener can visualize what you're describing
  • Start with your best topic
  • Speak as if you were addressing a single listener
  • Create Engaging Transitions
  • Highlight your colleagues' achievements
  • Be yourself on the air
  • Take risks

Speaker: Denis Stephen, Director of Stephanas Conseils in Lyon

Denis entered the world of radio as a co-founder of Radio Certitude in 1982 (now Phare FM Grenoble)—in other words, he’s no spring chicken.

After two years of audiovisual studies at the University of Grenoble, he moved to Paris and was elected secretary and then president of the FRTC (Federation of Christian Radio and Television Stations). He also served on the board of directors of the CNRA (National Confederation of Community Radio Stations). Currently, Denis Stephen advises radio stations on their applications to the CSA (Higher Audiovisual Council), a government regulatory body, and is developing a training course titled “Create and Manage a Christian Radio Station,” the first two lessons of which are available online.

The link to the training session will be shared in the FOMECAF WhatsApp group on Tuesday morning, May 25. If you are not a member of FOMECAF but would still like to participate in this training, please provide your contact information here https://medias.africa/contact/ A valid email address + a phone number = a guaranteed response.

 

Wednesday, May 26, 2:00 p.m. GMT:

Full Radio Broadcast: It's Your Turn to Speak!

In January 2019, about 100 radio stations and media outlets based in Lomé 1 took concrete steps to fulfill their desire to work together http://bit.ly/lome-1 without competing with one another. On that occasion, they signed the Lomé Declaration  http://bit.ly/DeclarationLome  arguing, in particular, that “The programs of Christian radio stations in French-speaking Africa should focus more on the concrete needs of the people.” The proclamation of the Gospel is carried out in a holistic manner, in the image of Jesus Christ, who touched the lives of his contemporaries by meeting the needs of the body, soul, and spirit.” That same year, these stakeholders came together around the concept of “holistic radio” http://bit.ly/lome-deux . It is now May 2021—so what’s new? During this online seminar, you will have the opportunity to share your experiences and testify to how you have put “integral radio” into practice.

Host: Etienne Kiemdé, CEO of Radio Évangile et Développement in Ouagadougou

Pastor Etienne Kiemdé, CEO of Radio Évangile et Développement—which operates eight stations based in Burkina Faso—was tasked with moderating this debate http://red-burkina.org . He is a driving force behind the Lomé seminars, a member of the FOMECAF working group, and—likely more than 20 years ago—the originator of the concept of development tailored to radio broadcasting. At 58, this family man is also a pastor, having been trained in Denmark, France, and England. Upon his return to the African continent, he embraced radio ministry as a matter of urgency. Before FOMECAF, he spearheaded several efforts to network French-speaking Christian radio stations in Africa.

For more information: https://radio-reveil.org 

The link to the training session will be shared in the FOMECAF WhatsApp group on Tuesday morning, May 25. If you are not a member of FOMECAF but would still like to participate in this training, please provide your contact information here https://medias.africa/contact/ A valid email address + a phone number = a guaranteed response.

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Religious Extremism in Africa: According to Augustin Ahoga, “We Must Evangelize Africans Once Again”

The issue of religious extremism is a pressing concern in an Africa heavily threatened by jihadism. This raises questions about the role of Christians in such a context. For Augustin Ahoga, a pastor and teacher in Benin, the rise of religious extremism stems in part from Christians’ abandonment of African cultural values. This has led them to develop a fear that prevents them from viewing jihadists with a different perspective. To reach these people, whose lives are generally stigmatized, Christians need training and must enter into authentic discipleship in the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth.

Augustin Ahoga was one of the speakers at Lomé 3, a gathering of media professionals from French-speaking Africa organized by FOMECAF and Radio Réveil last November.

Read the rest of the interview on the lafree.info website

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Lomé 3: Jean-Luc Simbilyabo of the DRC Receives the François Sergy Award

The training seminar for Christian media professionals in French-speaking Africa concluded on Friday, November 27, with the presentation of the François Sergy Award to a deserving media initiative. Jean-Luc Simbilyabo, from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, received the award for an original “integral radio” project.

On Friday, November 27, during the closing ceremony of the training week organized by the Francophone African Christian Media Forum (FOMECAF), Congolese pastor Jean-Luc Simbilyabo received the François Sergy Award. “In Ituri Province, a region deeply marked by intertribal unrest, this radio director took on the challenge of ‘integral radio’ and helped spread a message of peace and reconciliation over the airwaves,” noted Emmanuel Ziehli, director of Radio Réveil and a key figure in the Lomé 3 organization.

Read the rest of the interview on the lafree.info website

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DRC: “Ever since Lomé 2, people have been calling me ‘Papa Météo’”

From November 23 to 27, about 60 media professionals traveled from Lomé, Togo, for a week of training. During this third edition of the program, several participants shared their experiences of the changes brought about by this new initiative launched by Radio Réveil (Bevaix). Here is a testimonial from the president of a radio station in Kinshasa, Congo. This written contribution is accompanied by a radio program produced byDodji Juliette Kpessou (Radio Hosanna, Porto-Novo, Benin) and Benjamin Holl (Radio Vie nouvelle, Douala, Cameroon).

His name is Johnson Kipesse. He is the president of Hermon Evangelical Radio and Television for Development (RTEDH) in Rutshuru, a city in North Kivu located about 70 kilometers north of Goma. This citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo participated in Lomé 2 in November 2019, a conference organized by the Francophone African Christian Media Forum that addressed the theme: “Let’s Invent Integral Radio!”

Listen to the interview
Read the rest of the interview on lafree.info

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Ivory Coast: “Lomé” Seminars Lead to the Formation of an Association of Christian Media Professionals

Following the Lomé 1 and 2 conferences organized by Radio Réveil and its partners, Christian media professionals in Côte d’Ivoire recognized the urgent need to come together and stop operating in a fragmented manner. With this in mind, two broadcasters founded the Union of Christian Journalists and Broadcasters of Côte d’Ivoire (UJACCI) in August 2020.

Christian media outlets in Côte d’Ivoire have long suffered from a climate of competition and a lack of collaboration among the various individuals working within them. The Lomé 1 and 2 seminars, organized by Radio Réveil in Lomé, Togo, in 2019, helped these media professionals understand the similarities in the challenges they face: radio station funding, precarious staff salaries, and the lack of effective evangelism strategies… In light of this, Christian journalists, hosts, and broadcasters decided to establish an association that will address the various problems they face.

Read the rest of the interview on the lafree.info website

Zenabou Ndocki (Radio Bonne Nouvelle, Douala, Cameroon)

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#Lomé3: Minister of Communication Urges Journalists at Christian Radio Stations to Strive for Excellence

On Monday, November 23, 2020, FOMECAF launched the third edition of its training program organized by the Francophone African Christian Media Forum (FOMECAF). In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Communication encouraged media professionals from religious radio stations to strive for excellence in communication.

“Information is both a resource and a weapon,” said Akodah Ayewouadan, the Minister of Communication, in his speech at the opening ceremony of Lomé 3. Ayewouadan, who also serves as the government’s spokesperson, said he was “impressed by the theme of media convergence addressed during the training week organized by the Forum of Christian Media in Francophone Africa (FOMECAF), because it helps promote excellence in communication.”

Read the rest of the interview on the lafree.info website

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The president of the Christian Council of Togo will attend the opening ceremony of Lomé 3

The Christian Council of Togo, in conjunction with the third edition of the training seminar for Christian media professionals in Francophone Africa.

With the third week of training for media professionals from Francophone Africa set to begin in a few days, the President of the Christian Council of Togo, Rev. Djakouti Mitré, received a delegation from the Lomé3 Organizing Committee led by Emmanuel Ziehli, Director of Radio Réveil Suisse. Following the meeting, the clergyman promised to attend the opening ceremony and to offer a prayer of blessing during the event.

Read the rest of the article on the FOMECAF website

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