AFP photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba won the World Press Photo 2020 with this photo taken on June 19, 2019 in Khartoum. - AFP

AFP photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba won the prestigious World Press Photo 2020 on Thursday for an image of a young man reciting a protest poem among protesters in Sudan. In the eyes of jurors, this photograph symbolizes "hope" and illustrates the power of youth and art.

AFP in the spotlight

Taken on June 19, 2019 in Khartoum, the photo shows a young man among the inhabitants of the Sudanese capital, after the fall of the dictator Omar-el-Bechir in April. "It is the only group that demonstrated peacefully that I met during my stay and I was touched by the undefeated solidarity of their revolution," said Yasuyoshi Chiba, 48. The photo "showed that people still have this passion inside and I felt like I was one of them." The Japanese photographer based in Nairobi, also obtained, with this same image, the first price in the category "General information, image only".

Other AFP photographers have also been awarded: Nicolas Asfouri, a Dane based in Beijing, is the big winner in the “General information, reports” category for a series of images on the demonstrations in favor of more democracy in Hong Kong . In the category “Sports, image only”, Oli Scarff was awarded the third prize for the snapshot of a tide of supporters of the Liverpool football club parading in the streets of this city after his victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the UEFA Champions League.

Another photo, taken for AFP by freelance photographer Sean Davey, who immortalizes a little girl wearing a protective mask and playing with her friends in a reception center in Australia, then in the grip of violent forest fires, won second prize in the “Contemporary issues, image only” category.

The World Press Photo Story of the Year has been awarded to 'Kho, the Genesis of a Revolt' by Romain Laurendeau (@PhotoRomain). Discover the stories that matter, chosen by an independent jury: https://t.co/j7Jiur7KJC # WPPh2020 pic.twitter.com/w2wiTa6aG2

- World Press Photo (@WorldPressPhoto) April 16, 2020

Finally, a French photographer, Romain Laurendeau, won first prize in the other main category of the competition, "Photo report of the year", with his series of black and white images on Algerian youth at the center of a massive revolt last year.

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