The Algerian Ambassador to Ghana, Ali Redjel, has supported the calls for Africans to tell more of their own stories, rather than leaving them to the rest of the world to do that for them.
He was reacting to comments by the General Manager of the Ghana News Agency, Albert Kofi Owusu, on the fact that stories about the continent continue to be under-reported by Africans.
The GNA GM had stressed that this situation is worrying because it deviates from Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s desire for Africans to tell their own stories.
“I have noticed that we don’t have much information between our two countries and I think it is the responsibility of GNA and APS to communicate and exchange first-hand information about the developments of both countries in all sectors and on African issues,” he said.
Ambassador Ali Redjel was interacting with the news wire service boss during a meeting aimed at strengthening Algeria’s relationship with the media.
He further said the changing dynamics in politics and economic experiences of both countries, information sharing, through the Ghana News Agency and the Algeria Press Service, is important in telling accurate stories on national issues, and also changing the African narrative in the international news media.
On his part, Albert Kofi Owusu said that there is the need for more support from African governments to ensure that instead of international media outlets reporting and highlighting the stories of Africa, local outlets would be able to take the lead.
He also added that “Africa is under-reported.”
Ghana and Algeria have maintained diplomatic relations since Ghana’s independence in 1957 with various initiatives in economic, trade, investment, agriculture, infrastructural devolvement and cultural exchanges, undertaken over the years to deepen the longstanding ties.
The relations between the two countries were nurtured during Algeria’s struggle for independence when the late anti-colonial activist, Frantz Omar Fanon, was appointed by the Algerian Liberation Movement, the National Liberation Front (FLN), as a Special Emissary to the Office of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, First President of the Republic of Ghana.
Subsequently, the Embassy of Ghana was officially established in April, 1963, among the first Diplomatic Missions in that country.
Since then, Ghana and Algeria have enjoyed uninterrupted cordial relations transcending into technical cooperation with over a hundred students on the Government of Ghana Scholarship currently studying in universities across Algeria.
In the meantime, watch the latest episode of #SayItLoud on GhanaWeb TV with Etsey Atisu below:
Ambassador Ali Redjel with the General Manager of the GNA, Albert Kofi Owusu