Amidst the growing threats and challenges faced by African journalists, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) has issued an urgent call for protection. In a statement released on International Human Rights Day, FAJ emphasizes the critical role of media freedom and journalist safety as fundamental pillars of rights-based governance and democratic life in Africa. The global theme, 'Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials', resonates deeply with FAJ's message, highlighting the indispensable role of journalists as essential public service providers.
The organization, along with its affiliated journalist unions and associations, has been documenting a disturbing pattern of intimidation, arbitrary detention, online harassment, censorship, and physical attacks against journalists across the continent. These violations pose a significant threat not only to individual media professionals but also to the public's right to information, which is at the core of human rights and democratic accountability. When journalists are silenced, civic space diminishes, and society's ability to challenge authority, combat corruption, and engage in public life is severely compromised.
FAJ expresses deep concern for journalists in countries experiencing unconstitutional government changes and areas affected by conflict and crises. Sudan, for instance, has become the deadliest environment for journalists in Africa this year, with at least six journalists and media workers killed in the line of duty, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Similar dangerous threats are prevalent in places like Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique. In these contexts, journalists often become the primary targets of those seeking to control national narratives, making their work extremely perilous and necessitating urgent and dedicated protection.
The year 2025 has already witnessed serious attacks and threats against journalists in Burkina Faso, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. These incidents underscore a broader pattern of hostility toward independent journalism and demonstrate the ongoing fragility of the media freedom environment across the continent.
FAJ urges governments and state institutions in Africa to uphold their human rights obligations by protecting journalists, reforming restrictive media laws, addressing impunity, and conducting credible investigations into all attacks against media professionals. The organization emphasizes that media freedom is not a privilege granted by those in power but a fundamental public right that governments have a duty to respect and defend. A society where journalists are unsafe is a society where human rights are insecure.
African Union instruments further reinforce these responsibilities, committing states to uphold freedom of expression and protect civic space. Omar Faruk Osman, President of FAJ, stated, 'Journalists across Africa continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of rising repression, but we must not mistake resilience for protection. Hostile attitudes directed at journalists by various actors must cease. In several countries, journalists face unique and escalating dangers, and their human rights require urgent attention. If human rights are truly our everyday essentials, then safeguarding journalists' rights must become a daily obligation for all African states.'
