Journaliste en danger (JED)

Articles by Journaliste en danger (JED)

Catholic faithfuls run for cover after police fired tear gas to disperse a demonstration calling for the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to step down, in Kinshasa, 31 December 2017, JOHN WESSELS/AFP/Getty Images

DRC’s descent into chaos, Ahmed Abba’s release, and Sudan’s fear of ‘indecency’: December in Africa

DRC’s descent into chaos, Ahmed Abba’s release and Sudan’s fear of ‘indecency’ are among the top stories in Africa at the end of 2017.

Zimbabweans celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns in Harare, Zimbabwe, 21 November 2017, REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Silencing ‘secrets’ in Guinea, information vs HIV, #FreeMartha and goodbye Mugabe: November in Africa

Major strides towards fighting impunity in The Gambia, US journalist Martha O’Donovan charged with subversion in Zimbabwe as Mugabe resigns, Guinea’s clampdown on free expression, and more in our November roundup of free expression issues in Africa.

AFEX

45 days and counting: Cameroon’s internet shutdown

Within the past year, the government of Cameroon has shut down the internet in its attempt to clamp down on demonstrations in English-speaking regions of the country.

A still image taken from a video shot on 1 October 2017, shows protesters waving Ambazonian flags in front of a road block in the English-speaking city of Bamenda, Cameroon, REUTERS/via Reuters TV

Security forces kill unarmed protestors in anglophone regions of Cameroon

AFEX has denounced the brutality of Cameroon’s security forces against unarmed civilians, reportedly killing 12 people and injuring many more in the country’s English-speaking regions, as well as the government’s decision to shut down the internet for the second time this year amidst protests.

A man holds up a sign which reads, "leave power", during an opposiition protest calling for the immediate resignation of President Faure Gnassingbe in Lome, Togo, 7 September 2017, REUTERS/Noel Kokou Tadegnon

Tragedy in Togo, Kenya’s contested elections & Nigeria’s “hall of shame”

The region’s free expression news round-up includes lethal protests in Togo and Kenya, calls for release of an RFI correspondent in Cameroon, a creative campaign that is holding Nigeria’s presidency accountable for freedom of information, and more.

RSF

Pressure on Cameroon to release jailed RFI journalist who reported on Boko Haram

Reporters Without Borders and other NGOs have formed a committee to press for the release of RFI correspondent Ahmed Abba, who was given a 10 year jail term in April 2017.

Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, listens during the London Somalia Conference, at Lancaster House, in London, 11 May 2017, Jack Hill/Pool Photo via AP

New bill could compromise independence of Somalia Media Commission

If adopted, a new law will allow the Somali government to establish a statutory media regulatory body – the Somali Media Commission – by nominating, approving and appointing its 9 members, and compromising its independence.

Kem Ley, 4 June, 2016, AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pressure mounts on Cambodia a year after Kem Ley’s killing

On the one-year anniversary of the death of popular Cambodian activist Kem Ley, civil society organisations from around the world reiterated their call for an independent inquiry.