Senegal minister sues media over alleged false reports

Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, Mabouba Diagne, has filed a defamation lawsuit against multiple media outlets. The legal action follows reports linking him to irregularities in an audit report from the Court of Auditors.

The minister has taken this step to defend his reputation against what he describes as unfounded accusations that have tarnished his professional standing.

Legal action targets false associations with audit findings

The complaint, filed with the prosecutor’s office at the Dakar Court of First Instance under case number 8815, accuses certain media outlets of publishing misleading content. These reports allegedly connected the minister to irregularities in the management of subsidized agricultural equipment, based on a 2025 provisional audit report from the Court of Auditors.

According to the legal filing by his representative, Me Khadim Kébé, the accused publications created an impression of direct involvement by the minister in the alleged financial irregularities. The minister’s legal team argues that these reports selectively used his image to imply personal responsibility for issues outside his tenure.

Minister denies all wrongdoing and vows to protect his reputation

Mabouba Diagne has categorically denied any involvement in financial misconduct. He emphasizes that the agreements concerning subsidized agricultural equipment were finalized before he assumed his current position. Furthermore, he points out that the 2025 audit report does not directly name him as responsible for any financial irregularities.

The minister views these publications as deliberate attempts to damage his professional integrity. In response, he has invoked Articles 255 and 258 of the Penal Code to pursue legal action against both the publishers and contributors of the contentious articles.