Over five decades, Saine had covered some of West Africa’s most significant political and historical events. In 1980, he was the first to report an MFDC attack on the Diouloulou Customs Post in Casamance and also covered Nino Vieira’s overthrow of Luís Cabral in Guinea-Bissau.
In 1984, he reported on the Mauritanian coup that brought Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya to power. In 1990, he covered the Liberian crisis, including the activities of rebel leaders Charles Taylor and Prince Johnson in Banjul and Monrovia. That same year, The Gambia’s first president, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, chaired ECOWAS.
In 1991, Saine was part of the Reuters team covering Pope John Paul II’s visit to Guinea-Bissau.
During former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule, Saine was arrested and detained several times in connection with his journalism. His reporting for Reuters frequently scrutinised the government and documented allegations of abuses and other developments under Jammeh’s rule.
In 2006, Reuters West and Central Africa Bureau Chief Pascal Fletcher named Saine dean of the region, recognising his decades of experience and service.
After 50 years, Pap Saine’s career stands as a remarkable record of journalism across West Africa, spanning some of the region’s most consequential political events.
