Center for Media Studies & Peace Building (CEMESP)

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) held its 4th Annual General Meeting in Grahamstown, South Africa, on 31 August 2016. The AGM was preceded by a two-day capacity building workshop on Digital Rights Advocacy, as a follow up to a similar workshop held in Ghana in January 2016.

On 13 August 2016, fully geared Police Support Unit officers and the National Security Agency of Liberia were seen barricading the premises of Radio LIB24. The event occurred barely 24 hours after The Costa Show analyzed a Global Witness corruption report on Liberia.

Following an outcry by the local and international community, including a statement issued by the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX), Alfred Taban was granted bail on 29 July 2016.

On July 16, 2016, agents of the National Security Service arrested Alfred Taban, Editor-in-Chief of Juba Monitor, an independent English language daily newspaper in South Sudan. The security service accused the journalist of inciting violence, and consequently shutdown the Juba Monitor on the same day.

The peculiar case of a radio worker in secret detention in the Congo who is accused of both spying for Rwanda and aiming to destabilize Burundi.

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) demands Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services to immediately release the eight students who have been detained incommunicado since May 2016, following a protest at the University of Khartoum.

“The perpetrators have not only deprived a family of a breadwinner but have also deprived society of a promising journalist whose activities were anchored towards youth empowerment,” said AFEX Steering Committee Chairperson, Zoé Titus.

The African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) is calling on Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to protect free speech. AFEX’s petition highlights 26 incidents of freedom of expression violations that have been perpetrated with impunity in Uganda in 2016 alone.