Reyhana Masters

People pass by an effigy depicting the incumbent governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, during Nigeria's governorship and state assembly elections in Kaduna, 9 March 2019, KULA SULAIMON/AFP/Getty Images

Militant insurgencies impact media freedom, fake news and elections, and more

February in Africa: A roundup of key free expression news, based on IFEX member reports.

People call for an investigation into the murder of journalist Deida Hydara during a protest in front of Gambia's high commission in Dakar, Senegal, 22 December 2004, SEYLLOU/AFP/Getty Images

Commitment, perseverance, and ingenuity: Changing The Gambia’s climate of impunity

The campaign to counter the culture of impunity, repression and brutality under the rule of former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh is a story of commitment, perseverance and ingenuity pitted against a brutally repressive regime. Here’s how the Media Foundation for West Africa and the Gambia Press Union worked to tackle impunity, both under the Jammeh regime and under the democratically-elected government of Adama Barrow.

NetBlocks

A darkness descending: personal stories from Zimbabwe’s internet shutdown

Misdiagnoses, missed operations, and the odd joke; Zimbabweans share how losing the internet affected them.

Ugandan LGBT refugees pose in a protected section of Kakuma refugee camp in northwest Kenya, 14 October 2018, Sally Hayden/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Death, shutdowns, crackdown and a glimmer of hope as Angola reviews penal code clauses in favour of LGBTQI rights

January in Africa: A roundup of key free expression news, based on IFEX member reports.

A women-run mini office with a printer and mobile phones, in Bafoussam, Cameroon, 12 January 2011, Carsten ten Brink/Flickr, Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Africa in September: From the crazy to the brave to the uniquely momentous

A roundup of key free expression news in Africa, based on IFEX member reports.

Sauti Sol, a four-member Afro-fusion band from Nairobi, Kenya, performs at the SouthWest music festival in Austin, Texas, 14 March 2012, Kitra Cahana/ Getty Images

From musicians to media, from subtle to severe: suppression of free expression in Africa

A roundup of key free expression news in Africa, based on IFEX member reports.

Acrobats perform outside the headquarters of Mali's incumbent president and candidate for re-election in Bamako, 13 August 2018, one day after a presidential runoff vote, MICHELE CATTANI/AFP/Getty Images

July in Africa: Contentious and contested elections on the continent

A roundup of key free expression news in Africa, based on IFEX member reports.

A prospective voter (L) checks her voter registration details with ZEC officials on May 29, 2018 at an inspection centre in Harare, JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images

Zimbabwe Election Watch – An IFEX Diary

On 30 July, Zimbabweans went to the polls. Afterwards, tensions simmered and then erupted. In the final entry in her 6-part series of blog posts, Reyhana Masters looked at how hope turned to despair, following a military crackdown and attacks on journalists.

A protestor carries a placard as Kenyans took to the streets to call on the government to arrest people involved in massive corruption scandals, Nairobi, Kenya, 31 May 2018, Allan Muturi/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

June in Africa: Taxing social media, the IPI World Congress, and more…

A roundup of key free expression news in Africa, based on IFEX member reports.

Journalists and members of civil society march on World Press Freedom Day, in Nakuru, Kenya, 3 May 2018, SULEIMAN MBATIAH/AFP/Getty Images

On digital rights, States and citizens stake opposing claims: May in Africa

A roundup of key free expression news in Africa, based on IFEX member reports.

A newspaper seller is pictured on August 31, 2014 in Maseru, Lesotho, MUJAHID SAFODIEN/AFP/Getty Images

Lesotho Constitutional Court applauded for declaring criminal defamation unconstitutional

Advocates campaigning against criminal defamation, insult, false news and sedition laws across the African continent are celebrating the Lesotho Constitutional Court’s decision declaring criminal defamation unconstitutional.

President George Weah addresses journalists during a press conference at the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Party's headquarters in Monrovia, Liberia, 30 December 2017, Chongyoon Nah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Liberian president’s media freedom assurances at variance with actions

Discrepancies between Liberian President George Weah’s rhetoric and recent events beg the question: Is he playing to the gallery, or does he really embrace the independence and freedom of the media?