Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)

Nigerian journalist Oludare Richards narrates the ordeal of his attempted kidnapping in April and how it has adversely impacted the wellbeing of his family.

Over the course of the last 5 months eight media houses in four countries have been attacked, in instances where 13 journalists and media workers have been assaulted and equipment destroyed.

The Media Foundation of West Africa and the Gambia Press Union worry about the consequences of President Adama Barrow’s televised threat against government critic Madi Jobarteh.

The MFWA condemns the gruesome killing of a student, Deborah Samuel, on accusations of blasphemy and demands a thorough investigation into the incident which needs to lead to justice for her family.

While covering the court proceedings of a case involving prominent opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, journalist Pape Malick Thiam is knocked out cold by a security officer and then convicted of assaulting the officer.

Following mediation by MFWA and its local Guinea-Bissau partners, 77 of the 79 radio stations shut down earlier in the month by authorities, were allowed to resume broadcasting.

Together with their partners in Guinea-Bissau, the Media Foundation for West Africa engaged authorities to consider a negotiated payment plan for the radio stations forcibly taken off air.

The MFWA’s monitoring of the FOE landscape in West Africa in the last quarter of 2021 records a spike in violations.