Ghislaine Dupont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ghislaine Dupont
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| Born | 13 January 1956 |
| Died | 2 November 2013 (aged 57) |
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| Station(s) | Radio France Internationale |
| Country | France |
Ghislaine Dupont (born 13 January 1956 – died 2 November 2013) was a brave French journalist. She was especially known for her reporting on news and events from different countries in Africa.
Contents
About Ghislaine Dupont
Early Life and Education
As a child, Ghislaine Dupont lived in Africa for several years. This experience likely sparked her interest in the continent. After finishing college, she went on to study journalism at a special school in Paris called the École supérieure de journalisme de Paris.
A Career in Journalism
Ghislaine started her career writing for newspapers like Ouest-France. She also worked with smaller, independent radio stations. In 1986, she joined Radio France Internationale (RFI) for the first time. RFI is a big French radio station that broadcasts worldwide.
After a short time working in Morocco, Ghislaine returned to RFI in 1990. From then on, she focused almost entirely on African news. She traveled to many countries, including Angola, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Sudan. She was known for her strong investigative skills and her careful, smart way of reporting. In July 2013, she became an important advisor at RFI.
Helping Radio Okapi
Ghislaine Dupont was very involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) starting in 1997. In 2002, she helped create Radio Okapi in the DRC. This radio station was nicknamed "The Frequency of Peace." It was started to help support media in places facing difficult situations.
Radio Okapi was created with help from a Swiss organization and the UN Mission in the DRC. Ghislaine helped train young journalists there. Today, Radio Okapi is a leading news source in the country. In 2006, her reporting led to her being asked to leave the DRC by the government.
Her Legacy
Honoring Her Work
Sadly, Ghislaine Dupont was killed on 2 November 2013, while working near Kidal in northeastern Mali. She was with a technician named Claude Verlon, who was also killed. They were taken by unknown people while doing their job.
On 5 November 2013, the president of Mali honored Ghislaine and Claude with special awards after their death.
To remember their important work, Radio France Internationale started the Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon scholarships in 2014. Each year, a young journalist and a technician from Africa get to study in Paris. The first awards were given out on the first anniversary of their deaths.
In 2015, the United Nations decided to make a special day to remember journalists like Ghislaine and Claude. This day, called the International Day to End Impunity, reminds everyone that journalists should be safe and that those who harm them should face consequences.
