"The rehabilitation of the particularity of the Sahrawi Hassani culture requires a true professional and advanced media, film, and audiovisual industry," Mustapha El Khalfi said while speaking in LaĆ¢youne during the study days.
Three partnership agreements aimed at promoting the media field in the Southern provinces were signed on Friday in LaĆ¢youne, in the presence of the Minister of Communication, government spokesperson, Mustapha El Khalfi.
The signing of these agreements comes on the sidelines of the study days organised on the theme of the film industry and training in the audiovisual sector, organised from 8 to 11 April by the Ministry of Communication in partnership with the Club of Audiovisual Producers in the Sahara.
According to a statement from the ministry, the first agreement concerns the establishment of a Press Tent in LaĆ¢youne as a local socio-cultural centre dedicated to welcoming and training journalists. This structure, which will resemble the Maison de la Presse in Tangier, will be equipped with state-of-the-art technological means. It will require a budget of 14 million dirhams, financed in partnership between the ministry, the Municipal Council of LaĆ¢youne, the wilaya, and the Agency for the Development of the Southern Provinces, as well as other professional actors.
The second agreement aims to support the capacities of production companies in the audiovisual and film sectors, as well as the promotion of this field in the region through a partnership between the Higher Institute of Audiovisual and Cinema Professions and the Club of Audiovisual Producers in the Sahara, while the last agreement aims to promote the capacities of journalists in the region, within the framework of a partnership between the ministry and the Press Club in the Sahara, the statement indicates.
At the end of the ceremony, which took place in the presence of the president of the Municipal Council of LaĆ¢youne, Hamdi Ould Rachid, the governor of the province of Tarfaya, Najem Abhay, directors of the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre and the Higher Institute of Audiovisual and Cinema Professions, as well as professionals, a message of loyalty and fidelity addressed to H.M. King Mohammed VI was read for the particular interest the Sovereign accords to the press and communication sector in the Kingdom.
Speaking on this occasion, Mustapha El Khalfi affirmed that the three agreements aim at the promotion of the press field in the Southern provinces through the improvement of the social situation of journalists and sector personnel in the region, as well as the strengthening of professional capacities through training and continuous training with a view to establishing a "strong media industry" in the region.
According to the minister, the launch of a film and audiovisual industry in the Southern provinces is likely to revalue the specificities of the Sahrawi Hassani culture, in accordance with the High Royal guidelines contained in the Green March speech delivered by the Sovereign two years ago.
Furthermore, the minister insisted on the involvement of local actors in efforts aimed at the development of the fields of press and communication in the Southern provinces and the accompaniment of regional growth.
On this occasion, the minister announced a series of projects planned to promote the press field and defend the territorial integrity of the Kingdom against the manoeuvres of enemies, including the launch of an audiovisual training programme in partnership with the Higher Institute of Audiovisual and Cinema Professions.
Mustapha El Khalfi also recalled the projects in progress, including the creation of a Sahara portal and the launch of a support programme for documentary films on Hassani culture and history for an annual budget of 15 million DH, as well as the multiplication of broadcasting hours for the regional television channel of LaĆ¢youne and the support of its human capacities and its extension project.
Internship certificates were awarded to the beneficiaries of training in the audiovisual and film sectors, organised by the Ministry of Communication in coordination with the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre, on 8 and 9 April, with the supervision of experts in this field.
The minister also visited the plot of land dedicated to the establishment of the Press Tent. The project, which covers an area of 3,000 m2, includes a training centre, another for journalistic studies, as well as an animation space.
At the beginning of this event, the participants recited the Fatiha for the repose of the souls of the victims of the road accident that occurred on Friday near Tan-Tan, which left 33 dead, expressing their condolences to the families of the victims.
