(LINA) –The Federation of Atlantic African Press Agencies (FAAPA) has started a week-long training of journalists from member countries at the Morocco News Agency (MAP) in the Moroccan capital Rabat.

The training being held under the theme “Writing for the Web Journalism" , brings together journalists from Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Niger, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Mauritania, Liberia and host Morocco.

In remarks at the start of the training session Monday, FAAPA president and Director General of the Morocco News Agency, Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, said the training of journalists from FAAPA member states is historic because it is the first since the establishment of the institution.

He urged participants to take the training seriously as it is meant to improve the quality of their agencies’ works and websites, and hoped that as the first batch, they will help improve their news websites.

It can be recalled that in October 2014 heads of news agencies from 19 Atlantic and Sub-Saharan African countries met in Morocco and established the Federation of Atlantic African Press Agencies.

The formation of FAAPA is geared towards setting the basis for a strategic partnership, developing professional relations among member countries, sharing information and multimedia products, ensuring free circulation of information, processing and spreading news concerning any member country or countries.

At the forum, a seven-member executive council was elected to steer its affairs for a three-year term.

Those elected were the Managing Director of the Moroccan News Agency, Khalil Hachimi Idrissi, president; Ms. Barry Oumou Valentine Claudine, Director-General of the Ivorian News Agency, first vice-president and Anasth Wilfrid Mbossa, Director-General of the Congolese News Agency, second vice-president.

Others elected Executive Council members were Jay Nagbe Sloh, Director General of the Liberia News Agency, Mathias Leandre Atignon, Director-General, Benin News Agency and Yarba Ould Sghair, Mauritania News Agency Director-General.

Meanwhile, the Executive Council of FAAPA has appointed veteran Moroccan journalist Mohamed Anis as Secretary General to run the day-to-day activities of the organization.
LINA