The Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) extends warm sentiments to Journalists and media workers in observance of World Press Freedom Day.
Freedom of the press—the right to report news or circulate opinion without censorship from the government or anyone else we all know is considered one of the great bulwarks of liberty, by a significant number of people around the world.
Liberians enjoy freedom of the press as one of the rights guaranteed by the constitution, and it is this right that World Press Freedom Day seeks to protect and advance.
Since the 1991 proclamation by UNESCO, World Press Freedom Day continues to amplify awareness over how key it is to dedicate our efforts to safeguard press freedom, and at the same time point out the vital role that journalists and media workers do play in fostering the culture of democracy, accountability, and protecting the rights that are too often denied.
In the discharge of these roles and responsibilities, many outstanding journalists have sadly died, some are either behind bars, held hostage or treated in unacceptable manners to deter others from holding the power that be accountable.
While Freedom of expression has considerably advanced in recent years, threats, harassment and censorship of the media remains pervasive.
As reported by the US State Department, Liberian “government officials have occasionally harassed newspaper radio station owners, and individual journalists, because of their political opinions and reporting”. Sadly, last year unknown men caused extensive damage to a radio station in Lofa during an alleged April 23 arson attack. On June 29, 2022, two LNP officers reportedly threatened to shoot Emmanuel Kollie, a reporter with the state-owned broadcasting system, and Amos Korzawu, a reporter for Fortune TV, while covering a political rally. Local and international rights groups have also recorded censorship or “Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media”, forcing some journalists into unacceptable self-censorship to avoid harassment.
As different global speech defenders, gather in various parts of the world to commemorate the 3oth anniversary celebration of World Press Freedom Day under the theme: “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”, CEMESP is urging the Government of Liberia and all of its state and security institutions to unequivocally commit to protect freedom of the press at all levels.
The government of Liberia must continue to widen the civil space for free and unhindered expressions to fulfill its commitments under local and international conventions.
The Center for Media studies and Peacebuilding is committed to advancing all the enabling elements of freedom of expression to enjoy and protect all other human rights.
In January this year, CEMESP with support from the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) launched a Comprehensive National Framework for the safety of journalists in Liberia.
The Comprehensive National Framework will consolidate coordination among Liberian state securities and media actors to ensure the safety of journalists especially during the October 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Finally, CEMESP wishes to express the significance of responsible, ethical journalism- a collective responsibility to abide by a code of ethics to avoid conflicts of interest that may compromise integrity or impartiality.
The importance of responsible journalism has never been more critical than now.
Professional journalists have an even greater responsibility in today’s Liberia to champion the truth, disprove fake news, and fact-check trending narratives to ensure the public has access to reliable information online. When do we start identifying and applying journalism ethics? It is now more than ever!
Southern African countries recorded improved rankings according to the Reporters Without Borders 2023 World Press Freedom Index, but the spectre of shrinking civic space continues to haunt the region.
Botswana halted the slide it recorded in 2022, improving from a ranking of 95 to 65 in 2023. Zambia continued its impressive improvement on the World Press Freedom Index, moving from 109 to 87.
Zimbabwe, which had recorded successive declines in the past three years, also recorded an improvement, moving from 137 in 2022 to 126 in 2023.
Other countries that recorded gains were Eswatini, moving to 111 from 131, Lesotho from 88 to 67 and Mozambique from 116 to 102.
South Africa also improved from 35 to 25.
However, despite these improvements, some countries recorded declines. Namibia, which has been the torch bearer in terms of freedom of expression in Southern Africa fell from 18 to 22 this year.
Despite this fall, Namibia reclaimed its spot as Africa’s leading country in terms of press freedom from Seychelles. Seychelles, which was ranked an impressive 13 in 2022, fell to 34 in 2023.
Malawi, which was ranked 80th in 2022, declined slightly to 82. Angola fell from 99 to 125, the worst decline of a Southern African country.
Tanzania took the wooden spoon of being the worst ranked country in Southern Africa, falling from 123 to 143.
The countries are ranked on several indicators among them politics, economics, legislative social and security.
A total of 180 countries were ranked.
Commenting on the latest rankings, MISA Regional Director Tabani Moyo said there was need to sustain the quest for media freedom and build on the improvements over the past year.
“This is just the beginning, there is need to continue on this trajectory and ensure improvement in the media environment across the region,” he said.
“However, as we celebrate these gains, we should be wary that shrinking civic space continues to hang over the heads of a number of Southern African countries like the sword of Damocles.”
Moyo was referring to the enactment of laws that could further shrink civic space in the region such as the NGO Act in Malawi, the proposed NGO Bill in Mozambique and the Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill in Zimbabwe.
In addition, a raft of cybersecurity laws in countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe pose a serious threat to freedom of expression in Southern Africa.
MISA is a regional non-governmental organisation with members in 8 of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries. Officially launched in September 1992, MISA focuses primarily on the need to promote free, independent and pluralistic media, as envisaged in the 1991 Windhoek Declaration.
The Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) with three other media organisations has called on the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo to annul aspects of two laws which continue to criminalize free expression even though Ghana repealed its criminal libel law two decades ago.
The call which was made by the MFWA together Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) and the Private Newspapers Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) in a joint press conference on Thursday, April 20, specified the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) and the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) as the laws in question.
The coalition particularized Section 76 of Act 775 and Section 208 of Act 29 as the problematic provisions of the laws. Originally targeted at the publication of false information, the two provisions have continuously been used by authorities to harass, arrest and prosecute journalists over their work.
“We recognize that the media and journalists can sometimes be reckless and unprofessional to the extent of publishing false and defamatory stories. Fortunately, the laws of the country provide aggrieved entities remedies for civil actions against citizens, journalists and media organizations.
“It is regrettable, therefore, that repressive provisions of the Electronic Communications Act and the Criminal and other offences Act are being weaponized to muzzle free speech under the Akufo-Addo regime,” said the President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour.
On behalf of the GJA which is a leading member of the coalition, Mr. Dwumfour who addressed the press demanded: “repeal these two laws!”
The press conference comes in the wake of the recent detention of a Radio Ada journalist, Noah Dameh, over a Facebook post concerning business mogul and CEO of the McDan Group of companies, Daniel McKorley. Mr. McKorley’s company, Electrochem, has been facing indigens’ resistance after it was controversially awarded a contract by the government to mine salt at Ada in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region.
Noah Dameh has been in and out of detention after he was first charged with publishing false news in August 2022 and subsequently remanded into custody by a court in March 2023.
The Radio Ada journalist has not been the only victim – in February 2022, the Police arrested Accra FM journalist, Kwabena Bobbie Ansah on the charge of publication of false news and offensive conduct for a video he posted on social media which claimed that the President’s wife had illegally acquired state lands.
In February of the same year, the Executive Director of an anti-corruption organization, Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson, was arrested by the police for publishing allegations that members of the President’s family travelled by the Presidential jet to the UK for shopping.
The coalition points out that these arrests and prosecutions are totally unbecoming of the government led by President Akufo-Addo who actually oversaw the repeal of the criminal libel law when he was Attorney General of the John Kufuor government in 2001. The press conference also reminded the President about his position on the problematic provisions in question in a lecture he granted in 2011, labelling them as unconstitutional.
“Our job is basically to remind him that, Mr. President, these were your views, we are still operating the same constitution, we are still talking about the same laws and these positions that you upheld are basically what we are saying we are in support of. You know we support you and we want you to take action in line with your convictions at that time,” said Mr. Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the MFWA who also addressed the press conference.
Ghana officially repealed its criminal libel and seditious law on July 27, 2001. However, in the years after that, Section 76 of Act 775 and Section 208 of Act 29, have proven to be vestiges of these repealed laws. The MFWA has long campaigned for their repeal making the current call yet another rehash.
Here‘s the full statement read at the press conference.
Zimbabwe’s First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa on 24 April 2023 reportedly barred journalists from the private media from covering her tour of the Museum of African Liberation in Harare.
According to NewsDay in its edition of 25 April 2023, her security aides said only journalists from the State media were allowed to cover the event.
Meanwhile, a BUSTOP TV news crew said they faced challenges in Epworth, Harare, on 22 April 2023 where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was handing over title deeds to residents of the area.
MISA Zimbabwe is on record saying journalists should be allowed to cover public events without any hindrance, regardless of the media houses they work for because this enhances citizens’ access to information.
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos is highly disturbed by the reported incidents of attacks on journalists and other media professionals covering the today’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in some parts of the country including Lagos, Ogun and Rivers States.
IPC’s JOURNALISTS’ -ELECTION-DAY-SAFETY-ALERT-DESK has confirmed that AIT Reporters and cameramen including Henrietta Oke, Amarachi Amushie and Nkiru Nwokedi were molested and prevented from covering the elections at some polling units in Eti-Osa, Ifako-Ijaiye and Amuwo Odofin local government areas by political thugs and hoodlums.
Journalist Nwokedi temporarily lost her phone before it was recovered with the help of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) men while Journalist Amushie was rough handled, her camera damaged and the cameraman beaten in the presence of a political chieftain.
The Alert Desk also established that Arise TV News crew comprising Reporter Oba Adeoye,
Cameraman Opeyemi Adenihun and driver Yusuf Hassan was attacked while covering voting in Elegushi area of Lagos.
“The cameraman, Opeyemi Adenihun suffered facial injuries while drones and equipment were seized” according to the news medium.
In Ogun State, News Agency of Nigeria’s reporter, Adejoke Adeleye, was among journalists molested in Itori Odo Area of Abeokuta South Local government where they faced mob attack by political thugs who equally reportedly assaulted INEC officials with axes and allegedly destroyed ballot boxes.
The details also include the denial of access to journalists who tried to capture voting in the polling unit of PDP Governorship candidate in Rivers State by some “overzealous police officers”.
“The policemen refused passage despite the proof of identity provided by the journalists” the report from Rivers stated
IPC strongly condemns these unacceptable attacks which constitute both the violation of the fundamental rights of the affected journalists and media workers and major assault on press freedom.
“Following the attacks on journalists during the presidential and national Assembly elections on February 25, we had called on the Police, the Political Parties and all concerned to take measures to protect them today. It is therefore worrisome that such attacks have been repeated”, the Press Freedom and Safety Alert Desk Officer of IPC, Melody Lawal said in a statement.
Mrs. Lawal charged the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the various attacks and ensure that the perpetrators face the consequences of their illegal and actions.
The African Freedom of Exchange (AFEX) strongly condemns the rearrest of freelance journalist and press freedom advocate Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, and urges the Somali authorities to release the journalist unconditionally.
Police officers arrested the cofounder and secretary general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), a local media rights group, on February 23, 2023 in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. According to the SJS and other media sources, Mumin was arrested without any warrant nor explanation at Jazeera Hotel. He had attend a public event held there by the Senate finance committee as a speaker.
The journalist was arrested on orders of the regional police chief Mahdi Omar Mumin and taken to the Mogadishu central Prison, the SJS and three other Somali media rights organisations said.
“Somali government officials and security forces must refrain from further persecution against the media freedom advocate and union leader Abdalle Ahmed Mumin. We also call on Somalia’s international partners to publicly condemn this political witch-hunt against SJS Secretary General Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and ask Somalia government to respect the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression,” the group added.
The new arrest of Mumin adds a new unfortunate development to four months of judicial harassment since Mumin’s first arrest in October 2022 on alleged security-related charges. Recently on February 13, 2023, the Banadir Regional Court sentenced Mumin to two months in jail on the same charges. However, an unexpected event occurred as Mumin was freed on arrival at the prison facility by the authorities when they found that he had served more than four months of detention prior the sentence.
AFEX is appalled by the Somali authorities’ inclination to muzzle critical journalism and press freedom in the country. We call on the Somali judicial authorities and government to release journalist Abdalle Ahmed Mumin without any conditions and refrain from any future harassment of the journalists for exercising his profession.
Prison authorities in Mogadishu have set free journalist Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, after he was sentenced to two months in prison. The Banadir Regional Court sentenced Secretary-General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS), Abdalle Ahmed Mumin to two months in jail, on February 13, 2023 on security-related charges.
The presiding judge, Salah Ali Mohamud, cited Article 505 (non-observance of orders of the authorities) of Somalia’s penal code in delivering the ruling. The journalist was initially charged under three articles of the Somali penal code, namely, Article 219 (Bringing the Nation or the State into contempt), Article 321 (Instigation to disobey the laws), and Article 505 (non-observance of orders of the authorities) of the Somali penal code.
However, after the ruling, an unexpected event occurred as Mumin was released shortly after.
In a statement published on their website, the SJS said that, “after delivering the sentence, the judge ordered Abdalle to be handcuffed but the police officers turned down his order. When Abdalle was taken to the Mogadishu Central Prison, the officers there reviewed the verdict letter and found that Abdalle has served more than four months of detention resulting his immediate freedom. Abdalle was then allowed to go free.”
Mumin also confirmed his release in a post on twitter “this morning, Banadir Court judge, who was reading a pre-drafted letter sentenced me to 2 months in jail despite the fact I was detained 5 months ago. To my surprise, when I was taken to #Mogadishu central prison, officers refused to jail me granting my immediate freedom. I went straight to my office to conduct my daily routine. I will continue to be on the forefront of defending press freedom and human rights in #Somalia.”
Mumin’s ordeal started more than 120 days ago when he was arrested on October 11, 2022 at the Aden Adde International Airport in the capital Mogadishu by officers of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). The media rights advocate was arrested shortly after he published on his Twitter account a CCTV footage, reportedly from the premises of the SJS’ office in Mogadishu the previous night showing security forces trying to break into the office.
While we welcome Mumin’s release, we are disappointed about the court’s ruling and urge the Somali authorities to bring to an end the repeated violation of Mumin’s rights.
A great number of the low-frequency equipment of the Community Radio for Peace of Bashali (Radio Communautaire pour la Paix de Bashali, RCPB) broadcasting from Kitshanga, about 170 km from the city of Goma, in Masisi territory, were taken away by soldiers of the so-called March 23 rebellion (M23) and others were vandalized, according to several sources confirmed by JED.
“It was in the evening of February 4 that armed men of the M23 forced their way into our radio station and took away the following equipment: the converter, 8 batteries, 2 printers, 1 desk-top, 1 inverter, 12 chairs, 1 stabiliser, 4 microphones, 1 sound card, 4 headphones and destroyed 9 solar panels, 1 generator of 5 KVA, 1 coaxial cable, 1 connection box, 7 doors as well as the main door of the station,” said Innocent Byamungu, head of RCPB.
The station’s staff are currently in hiding in the area, fearing for their safety. He did manage to save the transmitter, which was a gift from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The equipment taken away is now being sold in the city of Kitshanga at a low price by the rebels, Innocent adds from his hiding place.
When contacted by JED, officials of both the political and military wings of the M23, who oversee the area, denied the allegations but promised to conduct their own investigations into the accusations.
Lagos, Monday, February 13, 2023: Media Rights Agenda (MRA) today called on the Federal Government and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to take advantage of the opportunity presented by this year’s World Radio Day to undertake a comprehensive reform of the broadcast sector to entrench broadcasting freedom in Nigeria and enable radio in particular to achieve its full potential.
In a statement issued in Lagos on the occasion of the 2023 World Radio Day themed “Radio and Peace”, MRA noted that despite advancements in information and communications technologies (ICTs), which have provided societies with many different options for public communications, radio remains the most sought-after and effective medium of mass communication in many parts of the world, particularly during periods of conflict and emergencies.
In the statement, MRA’s Communications Officer, Mr. Idowu Adewale, noted that: “Radio has long been recognized as a vital tool for promoting peace, stability and conflict resolution. In times of crisis, it provides a source of reliable information and can help to dispel myths and misinformation that can fuel or aggravate conflict.”
He however observed that the strangulating regulatory environment for the broadcast media in Nigeria was not only stifling innovation and creativity in radio broadcasting, but is also destroying public trust in the radio as a reliable and independent source of news and information.
Mr. Adewale called on the Federal Government and the NBC to work with other stakeholders in the radio broadcast sector to enhance the use of radio as a means of disseminating information that would help foster peace, especially in the Nigerian context where violent conflicts and unrests, which have become quite common amid the scarcity of fuel, the inadequate supply of electricity, the challenges posed by the currency re-design as well as other crises rocking the country.
Highlighting the importance of radio in fostering peace and stability, he said: “Radio continues to be a vital source of information and news for millions of people around the world, especially in remote and rural areas where other forms of media are not easily accessible. It remains a crucial tool for safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting cultural diversity, and it is a vital platform for promoting peace and tolerance.”
Mr. Adewale therefore urged all stakeholders to use radio as a tool to promote peace and stability, stressing that “We believe that radio has the power to bring people together, promote dialogue and understanding, and help bring an end to conflict. It is up to us to make sure that this important medium is used in a manner that can enable it to achieve its full potential.”
UNESCO’s 36th General Conference on November 3, 2011, proclaimed February 13 World Radio Day, to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe.
For further information, please contact:
Idowu Adewale (Mr.)
Communications Officer,
Media Rights Agenda [email protected]
In 2022, five African countries were plunged into spells of cyber disruptions that affected the lives and livelihoods of at least 30 million of the continent’s people.
Three out of the five countries which experienced the disruptions are in West Africa. Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone together accounted for five (5) new disruptions while a previous year’s ban on Twitter by Nigeria dragged into the subsequent year.
Between the two countries with fresh incidents, Burkina Faso accounted for the higher number of disruptions – three; made up of two nationwide internet blackouts and one social media shutdown.
Sierra Leone accounted for the remaining two which were both in the form of nationwide internet blackouts.
In both cases, the disruptions were at the express behest of their governments which had resorted to this all too familiar authoritarian tool in response to civil unrests.
For Nigeria, the disruption was in the form of the country’s suspension of microblogging site, Twitter, in 2021, dragging into early 2022.
Numerically, the five new internet disruptions in 2022 were neither an improvement nor a retrogression of the previous year’s incidence, as 2021 also recorded five incidents. However, the 2022 disruptions happened in three countries while the 2021 incidents occurred in four countries.
The four countries that recorded the disruptions in 2021 were Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Nigeria with the disruption in Nigeria lasting briefly into 2022. This makes Burkina Faso the West African country with the most recurrent internet disruptions between 2021 and 2022, having experienced a higher number of disruptions in 2022 as well.
The 2022 incidents also accentuate the fact that State censure of the internet in response to unrest remains a stubborn challenge within the West African conjuncture.
Burkina Faso
The three internet disruptions that happened in Burkina Faso occurred on January 10, January 20, and January 23, 2022.
On January 10, mobile internet was shut down at approximately 15:30 local time without any explanation from the government or internet service providers operating in the country. Access would be restored the following day. However, Facebook remained blocked. The government later confirmed the disruption and explained it was carried out for “national security reasons”.
Then, on January 20, 2022, the government explained it had restricted Facebook access for the same security reasons.
Those security reasons were in the nature of protests in the country where citizens had been demonstrating against the government of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
On January 23, 2022, the authorities made the decision to shut down the internet after mutinous soldiers had reportedly tried to seize power in a coup.
That coup attempt had followed months of protests by citizens who demanded the resignation of President Kabore. These protests and upheavals would eventually lead to the ousting of Kabore.
President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was ousted from power following the military coup and protests |Source: Business NG
Following the coup, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) expressed serious concern about attendant human rights violations and urged the new military junta to uphold human rights.
The coup and the attendant violations were especially worrying because they had happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sierra Leone
In the case of Sierra Leone, the two internet shutdowns happened in the same month – August 2022. They followed bloody government crackdown on protests against harsh economic conditions in the country. At least 21 people were killed while the government also imposed a curfew.
On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, street protests that had been called for by the opposition turned bloody when protesters clashed with security agents. The protesters had been demonstrating against what they said was unbearable economic hardships, high inflation, endemic corruption and abuse of power.
Two days earlier on August 8, 2022, citizens had responded to a call to remain indoors as part of the expression of discontent. They had deserted the streets and markets, shops and schools, leaving the national capital, Freetown looking like a ghost town. The citizens would then pour onto the streets to protest on the 10th of August and demand the resignation of President Julius Maada Bio.
In response to the protest, the government had sent in soldiers and the Police with the resultant clash leading to the killing of at least 21 people. As confirmed by internet governance watchdog, NetBlocks, the government would disrupt the internet by reducing national connectivity to about 5% of the normal level from noon. This lasted for two hours. Along with this, the government also imposed a curfew to prevent the protests from traveling into the night.
Later, the government shut down the internet overnight.
Nigeria
In the case of Nigeria, the internet disruption in 2022 was not a new episode but in the form of the country’s 2021 ban on the microblogging site, Twitter, dragging into 2022.
On June 4, 2021, the government indefinitely suspended Twitter after the site deleted a tweet by President Muhamadu Buhari in which he had made threatening insinuations to “misbehaving” people. Referencing the country’s bloody civil war, (the Biafra war) he had insinuated that the targets of his threat would be subjected to the bloody horrors of the war.
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War (1967 – 1970). Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” Buhari’s tweet had read.
Following public outcry, Twitter deleted the tweet, explaining, “This tweet violated the Twitter rules.” The government had then in response announced that it had suspended Twitter indefinitely.
President Buhari’s government suspended Twitter in Nigeria
The ban had inconvenienced many journalists who depend on Twitter for information and news updates for their work. However, on January 12, 2022, seven months into the suspension, the government liftedthe ban after Twitter had agreed to a number of preconditions, including opening a country office in Nigeria.
Cost of shutdowns
According to a cost of internet shutdowns 2022 tracker by Welsh VPN company, sub-Saharan Africa lost some $244.2 million between January and August from internet disruptions in 2022 alone.
In the case of the West African countries – Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone and Nigeria – the disruptions cost the subregion over US$ 95 million.
Out of this, Nigeria accounted for over US$ 82 million, Burkina Faso, over US$12 million and Sierra Leone accounted for over US$300,000 (See table below).
Country
Start Date
End Date
Type of disruption
Cost (US$)
Nigeria
1 Jan 2022
12 Jan 2022
Social media shutdown
82,740,533
Burkina Faso
10 Jan 2022
11 Jan 2022
Internet blackout
2,805,854
Burkina Faso
11 Jan 2022
23 Jan 2022
Social media shutdown
3,287,350
Burkina Faso
23 Jan 2022
24 Jan 2022
Internet blackout
6,546,994
Sierra Leone
10 August 2022
10 August 2022
Internet blackout
69,326
Sierra Leone
11 August 2022
11 August 2022
Internet blackout
242,640
Table: culled from Technext | Data: Top10VPN
Internet like power grid
On May 13, 2022, the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights released a report titled: Internet shutdowns: trends, causes, legal implications and impacts on a range of human rights. Parts of the report said Internet shutdowns “most immediately affect freedom of expression and access to information – one of the foundations of free and democratic societies and an indispensable condition for the full development of the person.”
“When States impose Internet shutdowns or disrupt access to communications platforms, the legal foundation for their actions is often unstated. When laws are invoked, the applicable legislation can be vague or overly broad,” the report added.
The observation in the report by the UN High Commission on Human Rights resonates with the position of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) that governments’ tamper with the internet amounts to violations of citizens rights. It continues to be the MFWA’s position that in the current information age, the internet is the very pulse of modern life. It is also the lifeblood of very important life activities including education, business, socialization, and entertainment.
Indeed, in the modern age, the internet is no less critical than any country’s national electricity grid. Shutting the information super highway down is often tantamount to doing something more hurtful than just inconveniencing citizens – it amounts to destroying livelihoods and even endangering lives.
In light of this, the MFWA’s numerous calls on governments to refrain from shutting down the internet at whim remain relevant.
The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) strongly condemns the prolonged detention and harassment of Somali media rights advocate, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, and calls on the Somali authorities to drop all charges against him.
More than 90 days have passed since the judicial harassment and persecution of the co-founder and secretary general of the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) began. In the latest development, the second hearing of the case which seriously affronts press freedom and the safety of the journalists in Somalia concluded after the Banadir Regional court adjourned the case to January 19, 2023.
During the second hearing held on January 15, 2023, Abdalle, protested the flagrant abuse of his rights by asking a series of questions, including, why he was detained without a court warrant and why he was held at Godka Jila’ow underground prison which the Somali government said had been closed.
“Why are you detaining me without a court warrant? Why Godka Jila’ow despite previous claim of closing the notorious underground prison? Why are you holding me at the CID while the police did not arrest me? Why were all the three charges trumped up 45 days after my detention? Why only me out of five other media organisations? Why is this case being delayed for 4 months now without no genuine reason?” he questioned the court.
Mumin’s case has dragged on from October 11, 2022 when he was arrested at the Aden Adde International Airport in the capital Mogadishu by officers of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) as he was preparing to board a flight to Nairobi. He was arrested shortly after he published on his Twitter account a CCTV footage, reportedly from the premises of the SJS’ office in Mogadishu the previous night showing security forces trying to break into the office.
An official statement issued by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism on October 12, 2022, stated that Abdalle was being held on security-related charges.
“In contact with the National Prosecution Office, the ministry was informed that Abdalla Mumin is in the hands of the Somali Police Force and is being held on security-related charges. The Ministry, therefore, confirms that Abdalle Mumin has no charges related to his work as a journalist,” the statement reads.
The authorities held Mumin for days before releasing him on bail. He would later be detained again on October 18, 2022 and released on bail for the second time on October 26 as his health deteriorated while in detention.
According to Abdalle’s lawyers, prosecutors from the office of the Attorney General charged him under Article 219 (Bringing the Nation or the State into contempt), Article 321 (Instigation to disobey the laws), and Article 505 (non-observance of orders of the authorities) of the Somali penal code.
The judicial harassment of Mumin raised indignation in the country. Many human and media rights organisations denounced the repeated violations of Abdalle’s rights and the conditions the Ministry of Information gave on November 15, 2022, as alternative to having all charges against him dropped. More specifically, the Ministry requested, among other conditions, that Abdalle Mumin quit his media advocacy work and abandon future criticism of the authorities before all charges against him are dropped. However, Mumin and the media advocates turned down the conditions they considered “unacceptable and unlawful”.
AFEX is appalled by the judicial harassment of Mumin and the outrageous conditions placed on his freedom. We join our voices to that of the media and the international community to condemn the brazen assault on the journalist’s rights, we call on the Somali authorities to drop all charges against him. The Somali authorities must stop restricting legitimate press freedom and freedom of expression on the basis of national security claims.
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos- Nigeria is greatly concerned about the reported threats on the life of Premium Times Journalist, Saviour Imukudo.
A report published by Premium Times stated that, “A man who supervised a poorly executed federal project in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria, threatened to kill a PREMIUM TIMES journalist over a report on the project.”
The report further stated that, “When Saviour Imukudo contacted Andrew Okure, the man who supervised the rehabilitation of the stalls, before the newspaper ran a story on the project, he declined to comment. Mr. Okure later called the reporter, Mr. Imukudo dishing out threats. A male voice in the background could also be heard issuing out additional threats against the reporter.”
“Look at you, look at six feet. Don’t worry. Thank God, I know your name now. Somebody is telling you to go and die and you are following the person,” the voice in the background said.
IPC is deeply worried about the situation of Journalist Saviour Imukudo and hereby calls on the Nigerian government and the security agencies to ensure that he is not harmed in any way.
IPC enjoins anyone who may be aggrieved over media reports to seek redress through legal channels instead of attempting to resort to extra-judicial self-help.
IPC therefore appeals to other national, regional and international media freedom groups, freedom of expression organisations and human rights bodies to join in the clamour for the safety of Saviour Imukudo.
IPC believes the time has come to stop attacks on journalists and other media professionals in Nigeria so that the country would stop being counted among dangerous zones for journalism practice.
