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One Million VOA Facebook Views for Viral Video of Chad Dictator


VOA’s French to Africa Service, aka VOA Afrique, topped one million views on Facebook with its story - accompanied by Agence France-Presse video - of former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré being carried into court and restrained by masked security guards at the re-start of his trial in Senegal for crimes against humanity.

It is one of the largest social media video views ever recorded by Voice of America. VOA’s French language service reaches younger mobile phone savvy audiences across Africa through innovative social media programming that has included violence in Burkina Faso and Burundi; protests in Ferguson, Missouri; and real-time World Cup coverage from Brazil.

"While we feel that all of our Facebook content is engaging, this Hissène Habré video clearly struck a chord with our audience, who reacted to it and shared it at unprecedented levels,” says VOA Afrique Chief Jeremy Groce. “No doubt this is because the trial of a very controversial former African leader by an African court in Africa is an unprecedented event.”

VOA Afrique is one of the leading international news broadcasters in Francophone Africa covering Africa, America, and international developments. Programs can be accessed on television, mobile and desktop sites, radio and social media platforms.

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