Report on the Training of Journalists
A CENOZO and WAJSIC Collaboration

1. Introduction

   The Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism in West Africa (CENOZO) in collaboration with the Whistleblowers and Journalists Safety International Center (WAJSIC) organized a safety training workshop for a group of journalists on the sidelines of the CENOZO General Assembly. The overall goal of the workshop was to equip the journalists with a safety consciousness with regards to knowledge and skills in their line of work.

   The official title for the event was: Training Workshop on the physical security of investigative journalists and the rule of law.

   

   The workshop was led by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the Director of WAJSIC, serving as the journalists’ trainer. Anas Aremeyaw Anas is a Ghanaian undercover investigative journalist of international repute who has won many awards in the field and has worked with the likes of the BBC, Aljazeera and CNN. Apart from his role at WAJSIC, which he founded, he is also the CEO of Tiger Eye Media Consult, a Ghana-based private investigation and investigative journalism firm.

2. Location and Period of Workshop

   The workshop took place at the Norbert Zongo National Press Center (CNP-NZ) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on the 15th and 16th of November, 2021

3. Participants

    

   

   The workshop had 20 journalists from 14 West African countries participating. Below is the full list.

   No	Name	Country	Contact
   1	Maryse Assogbadjo	Bénin	donagnona@yahoo.fr +229 95 81 69 71
   2	Rabiatou Simporé	Burkina Faso	rabysimpore@yahoo.fr +226 74 11 46 03
   3	Hyacinthe Sanou	Burkina Faso	hyacinthebf@gmail.com +226 70 36 95 56
   4	Simon Kiéma	Burkina Faso	+226 79 23 14 75
   5	Gaston Sawadogo	Burkina Faso	gastonbonheur@gmail.com +226 71 93 37 32
   6	Filomena Maria Tavares Correia Silva	Cape Verde	asemanafilomena@gmail.com +351 926 222 495
   7	Noël Konan	Cote d’Ivoire	noel.konan2006@gmail.com +225 09 96 64 15
   8	Abou Traoré	Cote d’Ivoire	aboutraore05@yahoo.fr +225 40 00 64 13
   9	Lamin Jahateh	Gambia	lmnjahateh@gmail.com +220 718 9376
   10	Zubaida Mabanu Ismail	Ghana	zubaidais16@gmail.com +233 24 864 8456
   11	Adja Kadé Barry	Guinea	kadijaaguibou.b@gmail.com +224 628 84 40 48
   12	Seydou Traoré	Mali	tseydou01@gmail.com +223 78 12 79 46
   13	Maliki Diallo	Mali	malikidiallo16@gmail.com +223 74 13 10 08
   14	Kassim Traoré	Mali	kktraore.traore@gmail.com +223 76 47 78 93
   15	Zeid Saleck	Mauritania	saleckabdellah@gmail.com +222 42 33 42 33
   16	Rachida Ousmane Kotia	Niger	ousmanerachida05@gmail.com +227 99 21 73 27
   17	Momar Niang	Senegal	mniang48@gmail.com +221 77 166 94 85
   18	Mohamed Kabba	Sierra Leone	lanskay10@gmail.com +232 76 546443
   19	Yewa Etonam Sossou	Togo	etonamsossou@gmail.com +228 98 42 52 62
   20	Allen Yero Emballo	Guinea-Bissau	sorondiaye96@gmail.com +245 5101529

4. Activities – November 15, 2021

   After the participants were welcomed and set-up by the CENOZO logistics team, there was an opening speech by a CENOZO Cordinator. The participants were then presented, after which the workshop started.

   After being introduced, the workshop trainer Anas Aremeyaw Anas explained his objectives assigned to the training. The participants then engaged in a round table discussion about their expectations for the training.

   

   The first major topic to be discussed was How to mitigate physical risk on a solo investigation. Here, the trainer drew on his own experiences to take the participants through a variety of methods to avert physical threats while an investigative reporter is on a reporting mission alone. There was a Breakfast break after this.

   Back from breakfast, the trainer handled the second topic: Digital safety in investigations; Internet shutdown. This was a journey through the various avenues in which an investigative reporter can ensure his own safety digitally while on the field.

   There was a lunch break, after which the last topic, Physical safety and hostile environments training, was presented. Here, again, the trainer drew on his own field experience to talk the participants through the very important factors of a hostile investigative environment.

5. Activities – November 16, 2021

   The day began with a discussion on the main points from the previous day’s training.

   This was followed by a practical session where the participants were broken down into three groups and given safety assignments, supervised by the trainer.

   Breakfast followed, after which the participants presented the solutions to their safety assignments.

   After lunch break, the trainer undertook his last presentation on Dealing with the personal risk issues of the investigative journalist: One on one, fears and concerns. This was a more in-depth look at what it means for the journalist to come face to face with his fears whiles on an investigative job, and how to navigate one’s way around that challenge.

   

   The trainer then gave his concluding remarks to bring the two-day workshop to a close, before the participants were allowed to share their candid views in analyzing and evaluating the various topics that were discussed.