By KUNA
Dakar : Despite the common misperception that African countries are limited in resources and technical infrastructure, Senegal’s organization of the 11th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference has proven this wrong.
With the large number of journalists arriving here to cover the event, the organizers have set up a well-equipped press center at the Meridian Hotel, where the summit meetings were taking place.
Njai Mamadou, head of the media and press committee, told KUNA that preparations for the press center and setting up other facilities for journalists took almost a year, thus ensuring that Senegal’s positive image and its ability to host such a large and important event would be properly highlighted.
He explained that the media organizing committee held a series of meetings to determine what was required for covering the summit in the best way, noting that there were two press halls holding 120 computers hooked up to a cable network, alongside a wireless network.
Large screens were also set up for live broadcast of open sessions with simultaneous translation into Arabic, English, French and Russian.
Ten technicians are at the press center at all times to assist journalists.
Mamadou added that the Senegalese government recruited the assistance of a major French media company to help the committee in organizing and providing technical and logistical support.
Moreover, he said a daily bulletin was published throughout the summit’s duration in Arabic, English and French of which 3,000 copies were distributed.
Inside the press center, more than 300 Senegalese members of the committee worked to provide the needs of some 700 Arab and foreign reporters.
To accommodate reporters, the OIC has leased the Italian “Musica” floating hotel with the capacity of 3,000 beds, while Morocco sent over the “Marrakech Express” with an additional 800 beds. Both vessels are docked at Dakar Bay.
Security measures will be heightened on Thursday and Friday, when the leaders of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states are set to meet. Thursday has been declared a holiday in the country.