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Doha – Ouadih Dada, a well-known journalist and news anchor at Morocco’s public television channel 2M, has been suspended from his duties as editor-in-chief and presenter of the evening news program “Info Soir,” effective October 21.
The decision, which the National Union of Moroccan Press (SNPM) has denounced as “arbitrary” and “purely related to his new union activity,” has sparked controversy and raised questions about press freedom and labor rights in the country’s media landscape.
According to a statement released by the SNPM, the suspension came just days after the formation of an SNPM coordination committee within 2M, and was executed by the channel’s outgoing Director of Information, Hamid Saadni.
The union characterized Saadni’s correspondence to Dada as “retaliatory” and “devoid of legal justification,” alleging that it was an attempt to intimidate the newly formed union committee.
The SNPM revealed that Dada had been previously targeted by Saadni in a July 4 correspondence, which coincided with Saadni reaching retirement age.
In that instance, Dada was accused of participating in a conference without providing details about the event’s name or location, despite the fact that Dada was on personal leave at the time.
The union maintained that Dada’s professional competence had led to him being invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to host a conference in Dakhla promoting the royal initiative for Atlantic countries.
Speculation has arisen regarding the true motives behind Dada’s suspension.
Some sources suggest that 2M’s management had grown displeased with Dada repeatedly hosting conferences and events outside the channel in exchange for significant fees, leveraging his public profile as a news anchor.
The most recent such event was a conference in Ben Guerir for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Industry.
These incidents have sparked debate about the ethical implications of a journalist from a public channel using their position for personal financial gain.
However, others theorize the suspension of the Francophone journalist is in relation to a power struggle between the two rival unions at 2M – the Moroccan Labor Union (UMT) and the SNPM.
These two bodies represent a significant voting bloc of the nearly 400-strong workforce.
In its statement, the SNPM expressed its “absolute and unconditional solidarity” with Dada, considering the targeting of him to be an attack on the union itself.
It condemned the “unjust and arbitrary” decision in the strongest terms, asserting that it aimed to “intimidate and prohibit union work through administrative thuggery.”
The union further called on 2M’s Director General and the CEO of the National Company to assume their responsibilities in putting an end to these practices, canceling the “unjust decision,” and opening an investigation into the actions of Saadni.
Ouadih Dada, 43, is a prominent Franco-Moroccan journalist and author. Born in Pierrelatte, France to Moroccan immigrant parents, Dada pursued his higher education in law and journalism in France before joining 2M in 2006.
Over a 12-year period, he presented over 2,000 televised news bulletins and founded the economic news program “Econews.” In 2018, he launched the magazine “Continentales,” focusing on African current affairs. Dada has also authored several books since 2007.
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