Senegalese journalists win the 2017 RFI Dupont/Verlon prize

The fourth Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon award, given in homage to the two RFI journalists, was awarded on Thursday to Arona Diouf and Nicole Diedhou in an emotional ceremony in Dakar, Senegal.

Cécile Mégie, director of RFI (l), Apolline Verlon, daughter of Claude Verlon, alongside the winners A. Diouf and N.Diedhiou, Mrs. Poinsot, mother of Ghislaine Dupont, the ambassador of France Christophe Bigot, Marie-Christine Saragosse, CEO of FMM (r). © Abdoulaye Diaw

Created in 2014 to pay respect to the two RFI journalists who were assassinated in Mali, the fourth Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon award was given to two young Senegalese journalists on Thursday 2nd November.

The 33-year-old journalist Arona Diouf, and the radio technician Nicole Diedhiou won the competition, which had the theme of “tolerance”.

They received their prize in the presence of Mali’s ambassador to Senegal, the ambassador of France to Senegal, as well as the daughter of Claude Verlon and the mother of Ghislaine Dupont.

Both were very moved, speaking of their contrasting sentiments; the joy and the sorrow felt during this ceremony that is the “bearer of sadness, but also hope”, quoting Ghislaine Dupont's words.

The two laureates were chosen among 20 candidates trained by the RFI team in Dakar.

The final exam consisted of creating a report as a duo – a technician and a journalist. Arona Diouf and Nicole Diedhou have been rewarded for their productions: the first on polygamy and the second on obstetric fistula.