LES FAITS QUI ACCABLENT PAPE ALÉ NIANG (Par le Collectif des cadres de l’audiovisuel public)
On January 9, 2026, an article published on the Seneweb website presented Pape Alé Niang, the then-Director General of the Senegalese Radio and Television Broadcasting Corporation (RTS), as the architect of the public company's ongoing turnaround. The article, relaying talking points from his inner circle, painted a portrait of a visionary leader committed to a reform agenda. However, upon examination of the facts, procedures, and internal documents, this narrative collapses. It reveals, on the contrary, a rigid governance structure, a growing debt, and a clear manipulation of the public apparatus for personal gain.
A debt of 29.6 billion FCFA is mentioned, of which 3.5 billion is said to have been repaid. This figure, presented as an inheritance, is in reality a liability that has worsened under the current management. Since taking office, no restructuring plan has been formally adopted. No external audit has been commissioned. No management report has been submitted to the Board of Directors to account for the evolution of this debt. The partial payment mentioned stems from a stopgap approach, not a recovery strategy. It is not an achievement, but a belated reaction, dictated by urgency and pressure.
The financial commitments made during his tenure were undertaken without multi-year planning, risk assessment, or consultation with technical and financial departments. The debt is not an accident. It is a symptom of an authoritarian, improvised, and personalized management style.
The so-called “2026-2028 strategic plan,” mentioned in the article, was never presented to the RTS governing bodies. No document was shared with executive management. No budget, no timeline, no evaluation framework was communicated. This plan has no institutional existence. It was neither debated, nor approved, nor implemented. It is a communication tool, designed to create the illusion of a vision, while the facts demonstrate the lack of strategic direction since its inception.
The CEO does not speak directly. He delegates the dissemination of his talking points to media outlets. This choice to bypass internal channels—the Board of Directors, the supervisory ministry, and executive management—to address the public via a private platform reflects a desire to evade oversight. It is a calculated shift in the debate, aimed at cultivating a victim mentality and garnering external support at the very moment when his legitimacy is being undermined internally.
The article explicitly addresses Pastef activists, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Republic. This shift from administrative to political rhetoric is not insignificant. It reveals a strategy of personal repositioning based on polarization and victimhood. By presenting himself as the target of a supposed vendetta, the director general seeks to transform a management crisis into a national issue. This shift in the debate, by mobilizing emotions and partisan divisions, diverts attention from the real responsibilities.
Since his appointment, RTS has undergone an unprecedented crackdown. Decision-making processes have been centralized. Recruitment has been biased. Broadcasts have been tightly controlled. Several departments have been marginalized. Newsrooms have been subjected to editorial pressure. The public broadcaster has been transformed into a tool for personal advancement, to the detriment of its public service mission. This drift is documented. It is known to the staff. It is now visible to everyone…
Commentaires (16)
Le mari de ma grande sœur y travaille. L’année dernière, à l’occasion de la fête de la Tabaski, elle n’est pas venue à la maison familiale. Elle nous avait expliqué que son mari était malade. Quelques semaines plus tard, elle m’a confié que la véritable raison était financière : son mari avait des difficultés, notamment pour acheter le mouton, ce qui explique son absence lors des fêtes.
Depuis près d’une décennie, elle vivait dignement. Mais depuis l’arrivée de Pape Alè, beaucoup de choses ont changé. Elle a dû déménager, ses enfants ont quitté l’école privée pour intégrer le public, et une grande précarité s’est installée. Aujourd’hui, elle est même obligée de m’emprunter de l’argent, une situation qui n’avait jamais existé auparavant.
Que Dieu leur vienne en aide face à cette épreuve.
Aujourd’hui, je vis une grande précarité : j’ai quitté mon logement et je suis hébergé chez mon oncle, le temps de retrouver du travail.
C’est une triste réalité de ce qui se passe actuellement à la RTS.
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