African news agencies on Wednesday gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, for the 9th General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), with a call for the media to actively promote territorial inclusion and spatial justice across the continent.
Opening the assembly, FAAPA President and Director-General of the Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP), Mr Fouad Arif, urged African countries to adopt development models that leave no territory or population behind, warning that persistent spatial and social imbalances threaten sustainable growth.
Arif said the assembly’s theme underscores Africa’s current development realities, stressing that progress cannot be sustainable or stabilising unless it is inclusive and balanced. He added that African press agencies have a responsibility beyond news dissemination, noting their role in amplifying marginalised voices and shaping the African public sphere.
Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mr Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, represented by Mr Abdelaziz El Bouzdaini, said spatial justice goes beyond infrastructure and investment, requiring fair visibility and accurate representation of all territories in the public space.
He reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to South-South media cooperation and described FAAPA as a vital platform for strengthening professional capacity and building a coherent African information space.
