Ten years ago, on November 2, 2013, the media world was shocked by the brutal assassination of two RFI journalists, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, in Mali. Today, although investigations have made it possible to identify the members of the commando responsible for these heinous acts, many questions still remain unanswered. In this article, we will take stock of the progress of the investigation and discuss the challenges faced by the judicial authorities in establishing the truth.
The lawyer for the Association of Friends of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, Maître Marie Dosé, emphasizes that investigations in this type of case are often long and difficult. However, she also underlines that significant progress has been made, in particular thanks to the exploitation of telephone data which revealed that the journalists had been under surveillance since their arrival in Kidal.
These results highlight the existence of external complicity within the commando. However, the lawyer emphasizes that judicial cooperation between France and Mali is today almost non-existent, which makes the continuation of the investigation extremely difficult, if not impossible. In fact, there are no more exchanges with the Malian judge in charge of the case, which constitutes a real obstacle to the progress of the investigations.
The investigation also reported the request for documents from the United Nations, including photos taken by peacekeepers in Kidal shortly before the kidnapping of the journalists. The request raises questions about UN cooperation in the case, as information needed to advance the investigation is still pending.
Despite these obstacles, the lawyer remains determined to bring the truth to light and continue the fight for justice. She underlines that certain people living in Kidal could be involved in the operation and insists on the importance of continuing the investigations.
Ten years after these tragic murders, it is essential not to forget the sacrifice of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon and to ensure that justice is done. The fight for the truth must continue, to guarantee the safety of journalists and put an end to impunity for these crimes against press freedom.