Ten years after the assassination of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Kidal, Mali, the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship rewarded two winners during a ceremony organized in Abidjan. This year, the Congolese Joseph Kahongo won the prize in the journalist category, while the Beninese Ange Joël Agbla was rewarded in the technician category.
Joseph Kahongo, aged 27 and originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a journalist, presenter and reporter at Malaika radio and television in Lubumbashi. He was praised for his reporting on the consumption of “Gaddafi cocktails”, a dangerous mixture of alcohol and drugs which is wreaking havoc in Ivory Coast. His work was praised for its progression in reporting, effective mixing and professional rigor.
Ange Joël Agbla, aged 23, is originally from Benin and works as a technician at Radio Univers in Abomey-Calavi. His all-sound report on a chicken farm was praised for the quality of its mixing and ambient sounds, which immerse the listener in the heart of the farm. His professionalism and sensitivity were also highlighted by the jury.
The two winners will benefit from four weeks of training in Paris during the first quarter of 2024, fully covered. This edition of the Scholarship received more than 330 applications from 12 French-speaking African countries, thus highlighting the interest and importance of this initiative.
The Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon Scholarship was created in tribute to the two RFI journalists murdered in 2013 during a report in Mali. This scholarship aims to support young media professionals in French-speaking Africa and to promote quality journalism in the region.
Through these awards, the memory of Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon is honored and their professional commitment is remembered. This year’s winners, Joseph Kahongo and Ange Joël Agbla, have the responsibility to perpetuate this legacy and continue to provide quality reporting that elevates the voices of African people.