Senegalese Journalist Babacar Fall Faces Death Threats After Criticizing President Macky Sall

Babacar Fall, Editor-in-Chief of the radio station RFM, has received a wave of death threats and intimidation after criticizing President Macky Sall’s remarks about the media during an international press conference.

According to reports, Fall began receiving threatening messages and calls on January 10, just a day after he spoke out against the president’s speech at the 50th Edition of the International Francophone Press Union conference. In his address, President Sall had accused certain segments of the media of exaggerating news and misleading public opinion.

Shortly after Fall publicly defended the press and described the president’s governance as “catastrophic” during a live broadcast on RFM, he was flooded with at least 120 messages from unknown individuals. Some of the threats included chilling warnings such as, “You’d better stop these comments. Otherwise, we will kill you,” and “This message is not a warning. I’ll take you out when I see you.”

The journalist has since filed a complaint with authorities, but no significant action has been taken so far.

In response to the threats, the Coordination des Associations de Presse (CAP), a coalition of media organizations, has expressed strong support for Fall and called on authorities to ensure his safety. The group also urged law enforcement agencies to investigate the threats and bring those responsible to justice.

The incident has sparked renewed concerns about press freedom in Senegal, where journalists have increasingly faced harassment, arrests, and violence in recent months. Media rights organizations have called for stronger protections for journalists and an end to attacks aimed at silencing critical voices.

As pressure mounts, it remains to be seen whether Senegalese authorities will take decisive action to uphold media freedom and ensure the safety of journalists like Babacar Fall.