The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Chief Executive Officer, David Omwoyo, has landed a new role at the East African Press Councils (EAPC). In a press statement on 16 July, the EAPC said Omowyo was chosen at the election of its leadership team for the 2025-2027 term.
The regional body, which is dedicated to media regulation and content moderation, announced that the MCK boss is now its second Chairperson, and will succeed Kajubi Mukajanga of Tanzania.
The announcement was made during a strategic meeting of media regulators from the East African Community (EAC) on 15 July on the sidelines of the second Pan-African Media Councils Summit in Arusha
‘Omwoyo, previously the EAPC Secretary, brings extensive experience in advocating for uniform media standards across the region,’ read its statement. ‘His leadership is expected to bolster the EAPC’s mission to foster a free, accountable, and professional media landscape.’
Established in 2023, the EAPC unites media councils from EAC Partner States, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia.
According to the body, the trio will serve two-year terms, guiding it towards the ambitious goals of its 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.
‘The plan focuses on five key areas:
fostering robust and independent journalism
embracing innovation to adapt to the evolving media landscape
ensuring the economic sustainability of media organisations
promoting high-quality, diverse and collaborative journalism, and
strengthening the EAPC’s long-term capacity and impact
The new leadership is expected to, among other things, advocate for harmonised accreditation for EAC member states through the development of a regional media protocol and to undertake a state-of-the-media survey for the region
During the EAPC inaugural Strategic Plan launch, Omwoyo described it as a significant milestone in the pursuit of media regulation and content moderation guided by common regional principles.
‘I am pleased that the resolve of media regulators in East Africa in 2019 to have a media that operates within values that we respect is finally achieved.’
The new Chairperson said the EAPC’s mission was geared towards ‘less of regulation and more of press freedom’.
Tanzania’s Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango has warned that unchecked spread of disinformation, hate speech and unethical journalism, particularly through digital platforms, is eroding public trust and threatening the future of independent media across Africa.
He issued the warning yesterday when officiating at the opening of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA) conference in Arusha. The event coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT).
The network gathers media regulators and practitioners from across the continent to address challenges facing journalism in a rapidly changing media environment, such as that which the VP said Africa is witnessing, along with an increasing erosion of trust in the media.
He said the spread of disinformation, hate speech and divisive narratives is weakening traditional media credibility and diminishing the authority of media councils, calling for urgent reforms in media regulation frameworks
These structures account for the growing impact of AI in news production, editing and distribution, he said, acknowledging AI’s potential to change journalism, ‘despite that it is being misused to create and disseminate false content at alarming speeds’.
‘I urge this conference to propose legal and policy frameworks that enable Africa to benefit from AI while safeguarding journalistic ethics, the right to accurate information and freedom of expression,’ he told the gathering.
To counter disinformation and strengthen journalism, media councils need to actively enforce professional ethics, handle public complaints transparently and invest in periodic training to equip journalists for the modern news landscape, he specified.
‘Media councils must rise to the challenge of rebuilding trust and integrity in journalism. Ethical reporting must be non-negotiable,’ the VP intoned, insisting that media councils need to uphold strong accountability mechanisms.
Tanzania is hosting the conference, the first since NIMCA’s formation in 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. Mpango described this as an honour for the country and for the MCT.
The council worked closely with Information authorities to reformulate media policy, he said, reiterating that the core mandate of media councils is to regulate the conduct of media houses, enforce ethical standards and protect the integrity of the journalism profession
‘In doing so, media councils build public trust and help raise standards of journalism across the continent,’ Mpango confirmed, noting, however, that financial difficulties face many African media houses. ‘This often leads to sensationalism and ethical compromises in pursuit of revenue and popularity.’
Sustainable development in the media sector requires robust legal and institutional frameworks that uphold freedom of expression and the right to access information, he stated.
Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, Tanzania’s Information, Culture, Arts and Sports minister, said the 4Rs agenda has helped strengthen media freedom, praising MCT for its close collaboration with the ministry in improving the media framework.
Susan Namondo, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the United Republic of Tanzania, praised the government for its legal reforms, particularly recent amendments on cybercrime and media service laws
Ernest Sungura, MCT Executive Director and the first Chairperson of NIMCA, said Africa’s media sector faces serious challenges that require a unified voice and coordinated solutions, including media sustainability and press freedom.
He said stronger institutional support to ensure media houses maintain their watchdog role while upholding ethics and professionalism, is vital.
Zanzibar’s President Hussein Mwinyi has praised the Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) for honouring the first and second phase presidents, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Ali Hassan Mwinyi, for championing media freedom across the continent of Africa.
The awards presented on Tuesday during the second Pan-African Media Councils Summit, organised by the Network of Independent Media Councils of Africa (NIMCA) at the Arusha International Conference Centre are part of the MCT’s 30th anniversary commemoration.
The summit was officially opened by Vice- President Dr Philip Mpango on behalf of President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan. Dr Mwinyi, who received the Anniversary Special Recognition Award bestowed to his late father, said thanked the council for recognising the late Mzee Mwinyi’s role in establishing MCT and championing media freedom in Tanzania.
‘The family of the late President Mwinyi is proud of this award, especially as MCT celebrates 30 years since its founding,’ Dr Mwinyi said. ‘This award encourages the use of media to promote development in Africa, as the media unites people to discuss issues that affect their lives.’
He also commended MCT Executive Secretary Ernest Sungura for being elected the first Chairperson of NIMCA, expressing hope that under his leadership, the African continent will achieve significant progress
Similarly, son of the Father of the Nation, Madaraka Nyerere, received a special award on behalf of the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. The award recognised Mwalimu Nyerere’s efforts in acknowledging the media’s crucial role during the liberation movement in southern Africa and his commitment to environmental conservation.
‘On behalf of our father and our family, we are grateful for this award, which symbolises the protection of media freedom and environmental stewardship,’ Madaraka said. ‘Mwalimu Nyerere understood that media freedom is not a luxury but a vital need for society’s well-being.’
Earlier, Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Professor Palamagamba Kabudi, praised Hassan for creating an environment conducive to media freedom, which he said is vital for the media’s growth
He further noted that the president had directed his ministry to clear all outstanding media debts to strengthen the sector’s economic capacity, a process currently underway.
‘The government will continue to collaborate closely with media stakeholders through MCT to ensure the public’s right to information is upheld,’ Kabudi said. Sungura called for unity in addressing the media’s challenges across Africa.
‘One of NIMCA’s goals is to combine forces and implement strategic, alternative solutions to revive the media’s economic strength, which is quickly diminishing,’ Sungura said. ‘The challenges facing African media require a united voice to protect media freedom and enable the media to fulfill its role of reporting, exposing wrongs and educating society while adhering to ethics and professionalism.’
United Nations Country Representative Susan Namondo described the summit as a testament to the continent-wide commitment to meaningful policy dialogue on journalism, press freedom, and communication, highlighting the media’s crucial role in Africa’s sustainable development
UNESCO Assistant Director for Communication and Information Dr Tawfik Jelassi noted the media sector’s struggles with misinformation, public distrust and underrepresentation of marginalised groups, urging urgent action.
‘Without facts, there is no truth; without truth, there is no trust; and without trust, there is no shared reality upon which, society can act.’
As Africa’s media landscape transforms at pace, sustainable funding for media regulators dominated discussions at the second Pan-African Media Councils’ Summit in Arusha, Tanzania. Leaders and experts from across the continent underscored the pivotal role of media councils and regulatory bodies as cornerstones of democracy.
Emmanuel Mugisha, Executive Secretary of the Rwanda Media Commission, asserted that governments must prioritise funding for media as a core pillar of governance and public accountability.
‘Just as governments sustain the judiciary and other state institutions, they must bolster media accountability and public interest journalism,’ he declared.
He proposed a media basket fund, potentially supported by telecom giants and tech firms that thrive on media content, to address the steep costs of quality journalism and ensure regulators’ independence.
David Omwoyo, CEO of the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) and East African Press Councils Secretary, showcased Kenya’s hybrid regulatory model, which blends public funding with autonomy. While effective in balancing press freedom and public interest, he acknowledged challenges, including representation and potential conflicts of interest.
‘These are the normal tensions of a thriving democracy,’ Omwoyo affirmed, advocating for funding mechanisms that shield regulators from political influence
Debate also centred on the feasibility of a unified African media regulation framework. An Algerian participant questioned why the continent could not adopt a singular model, to which Omwoyo responded that regulation must reflect unique political and social contexts, rendering a one-size-fits-all approach unworkable.
Instead, he urged countries to secure funding for public interest journalism while safeguarding regulatory independence.
Phathiswa Magopeni, Executive Director of the Press Council of South Africa, stressed the need for unfiltered, professional reporting. She argued that regulation should prioritise content over platforms, particularly in an era of digital media convergence.
Ernest Sungura, Chairman of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa (NIMCA) and Executive Director of the Media Council of Tanzania, called for collaboration, ethical standards and a bold Pan-African narrative
Describing the summit, co-hosted by NIMCA and the EAPC, as a ‘clarion call for a new era of media governance’, he urged regulators to champion a fearless, authentic voice that reflects Africa’s diversity and resilience.
In his keynote address, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information Dr Tawfik Jelassi, reinforced the need for enabling legal frameworks and independent regulators to foster ethical journalism.
Highlighting three decades of progress in Africa’s media sector, he stressed that an independent, pluralistic and free press is vital for democracy.
Dr Jelassi called for cross-border collaboration to tackle challenges like AI, misinformation and climate change, warning that ‘trust in media is under global strain as technology reshapes information flows’.
The summit, themed ‘Advancing Media and Communications Regulation for Journalism Excellence in Africa’, was hailed as a transformative movement to elevate journalistic integrity and ensure Africa’s media reflects the aspirations of its people.
PICTURE: Namibia’s Zoe Titus, Tanzania’s Ernest Sungura, South Africa’s Phathiswa Magopeni, Kenya’s David Omwoyo and Rwanda’s Emmanuel Mugisha at the NIMCA Summit in Arusha (EAPC)
When United States President Donald J Trump recently praised Liberian President Joseph N Boakai’s ‘beautiful English’ at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, social media lit up. The video clip went viral. Amid the noise, journalists in both the U.S. and Liberia failed to tell the real story: Liberia is stepping into a pivotal global role, and the world needs to understand why that matters.
In June 2025, United Nations member states elected Liberia to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2026–2027 term, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This achievement is not symbolic – it reflects strategic intent.
In 2024, the Security Council passed 46 resolutions, and nearly half addressed African crises, according to Oxfam. Withits new seat, Liberia now helps shape global peacekeeping, sanctions, and international interventions.
As part of the African bloc, Liberia is expected to promote peace, sovereignty and equitable development, especially for post-conflict nations. It may push for institutional reforms and champion the voices of women and youth. But its close ties to Washington will be tested. On issues like Gaza, Sudan, Haiti and Ukraine, growing rifts between U.S. positions and African consensus could force Liberia to walk a diplomatic tightrope.
Regionally, Liberia is repositioning itself. Under President Boakai’s leadership, the country is campaigning to host ECOWAS institutions, investing in civil service reform and sustainable agriculture, and asserting itself as a regional peace broker. Liberia’s Security Council membership, backed by ECOWAS, reflects growing trust in the diplomatic leadership of the country.
Yet, journalists and editors ignored the broader shift and zeroed in on a soundbite. They bypassed the reasons behind Liberia’s invitation to the Summit and what its presence reveals about U.S. strategy in West Africa, choosing instead to highlight a linguistic compliment. In doing so, they buried the real story
If journalism is to be more than infotainment, coverage of moments like this must move beyond the viral.
Liberia was one of five African nations invited to the Summit. Alongside it were Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon and Guinea-Bissau, each representing strategic value to Washington. These were not symbolic gestures; they were diplomatic calculations.
Senegal remains a democratic beacon in a coup-prone region, rich in gas reserves and increasingly central to U.S. clean energy goals. Mauritania, which borders Mali and Algeria, is a key counterterrorism partner. Gabon, despite a coup, holds climate and energy value due to its oil and rainforest assets. Guinea-Bissau, fragile but strategically located, remains vital in combating transnational crime.
Together with Liberia, these nations form a strategic arc stretching from the Atlantic to the Sahel, reflecting the U.S.’s pivot toward smaller, stable African states. We must also view this realignment through the lens of the U.S. foreign policy shift from ‘aid to trade’.
Since 2023, U.S. policymakers have restructured or scaled back USAID programmes across Africa. They now position Liberia not as a top aid recipient but as a strategic partner, offering fewer resources while demanding greater responsibility
Washington has shifted its approach, favouring private-sector-led engagement, pursuing trade deals, strategic investments and short-term influence instead of long-term aid. It now expects Liberia to vote in alignment at the UN, stabilise the region and open its markets, all while managing fragile infrastructure, high youth unemployment and growing donor fatigue.
The media missed all of this. There were no deep dives into the implications of aid rollback. No coverage of what ‘trade not aid’ means for countries still rebuilding. There is a lack of analysis of how African states, like Liberia, are navigating the growing distance between Western demands and African agency
Liberia has stepped off the sidelines. Liberia’s presence at the Summit and on the Security Council signals power and strategic intent, not sentiment. Years of peacekeeping, democratic transitions and regional diplomacy earned this moment.
Whether Liberia chooses to remain a quiet partner or rise as an architect of a more equitable global order, the media must critically provide coverage that honours Liberia’s evolving role on the world stage.
This brings to light several unanswered questions:
what specific actions is Liberia planning to take as a new member of the UNSC to address African crises?
how will Liberia balance its close ties with the U.S. while advocating for African interests on the global stage?
what impact will the shift from ‘aid to trade’ have on Liberia’s development and its ability to address internal challenges like high youth unemployment?
Ultimately, Liberia stands at a crossroads. Its decisions will not only shape its own future but also influence the broader African landscape in a rapidly changing world.
The media has a vital role in shedding light on this journey, ensuring that the narrative around Liberia’s advancements reflects the complexities of its new position. As Liberia steps into this pivotal role, let us watch and support its efforts to forge a new path of respect, cooperation, and strategic partnerships on the global stage.
LISA R WHITE
CEO of Genesys Communications. She holds a Master’s in Political Science and an Advanced Certificate in UN Studies from Long Island University–Brooklyn. She has worked across the U.S., West Africa and Europe in the U.S. military, the UN, diplomacy, media and public affairs.
Major new research will help experts to counter the spread of misinformation in Africa and understand the causes and consequences of the continent’s growing digital divides.
The project, by researchers from the University of Exeter, will provide crucial information for the UK Government about the role of social media in galvanizing offline protest movements across Africa, and the logic behind foreign-origin disinformation and influence campaigns in the region.
Gadjanova will investigate how the public’s growing access to digital technologies and social media in Africa is influencing politics, parties’ organisational capacity and campaign strategies, electoral integrity, socio-economic inequalities and the nature and spread of misinformation in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia.
She has also studied which social media campaigns become viral and influence offline protest movements.
Gadjanova said: ‘I’m thankful to be awarded this fellowship, a result of my work over several years on the role and impact of digital technologies in Africa while here at Exeter, the research networks I have created across several countries, and experience with engaging with policymakers.’
‘This fellowship will support the [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] FCDO capacity to carry out prompt and in-depth analysis of the various impacts that digital technologies are having on the socio-economic transformation and changing power dynamics in Africa
‘This will ensure decisions reflect the latest research and evidence, and improve the FCDO’s capacity to respond to a fast-moving policy environment.
‘In particular, my research can inform the FCDO’s ongoing work on democracy support, electoral integrity, media freedom and countering the spread of social media disinformation in Africa. It is crucial everyone works together to battle the offline spread of misinformation originating online.
‘Improved digital literacy and institutional monitoring can help to counter the worst online harms. There is also a need to improve party institutionalisation to harness the potential of digital technologies to empower new political actors, increase political trust, and improve government accountability.’
Gadjanova has previously briefed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on African elections. Findings from her earlier research were cited by the Kenya Human Rights Commission in its evidence of electoral irregularities submitted to the Kenyan Supreme Court in August 2017.
The Innovation Fellowships scheme provides funding and support for established early-career and mid-career researchers to partner with organisations and business in the creative, cultural, public, private and policy sectors, to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions. The aim is to create new and deeper links beyond academia.
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
PICTURE: Social media in sub-Saharan Africa is under the academic microscope (Aeqglobal.com)
Missing Burkinabe columnist Kalifara Séré reappeared at his home in Ouagadougou on 11 July. Abducted on 19 June 2024, the authorities had claimed he had been conscripted into the army.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), relieved that he was able to be reunited with his family, condemns the authorities’ attempts to silence dissenting voices and demands they communicate on the fate and whereabouts of six other journalists who have been forcibly disappeared or conscripted.
Séré returned ‘very frail, exhausted, and weakened, but he is fully conscious … he needs to rest‘, confided a source who was among the first to see the journalist upon his return after more than 380 days of absence
The leading commentator for the private television channel BF1 had not been heard from since 19 June 2024, the date of his hearing by the Higher Council of Communication (CSC). A security source confirmed to Agence France Presse (AFP) that the journalist’s ‘conscription’ had ‘ended’,
Four months after the 70-year-old journalist’s disappearance, on 24 October 2024, the Director General of Human Rights at the Ministry of Justice, Marcel Zongo, announced that Séré, along with Adama Bayala and Serge Oulon, fellow journalists perceived as critical of the authorities, had been conscripted ‘on the basis of the general mobilisation and warning decree’.
The Minister of Communication and government Spokesperson, Pingdwendé Gilbert Ouedraogo, has not yet responded to RSF requests for comment.
‘RSF is relieved to learn that Kalifara Séré, who was clearly forcibly conscripted into the army, has been reunited with his family and loved ones,’ said Sadibou Marong, Director of the RSF Sub-Saharan Africa Desk.
‘Now that the news commentator is free, we call on Burkina Faso’s authorities to decide on the fate of Serge Oulon, Adama Bayala, Alain Traoré and all journalists who have disappeared or are alleged to have been conscripted into the army’
The Editor-in-Chief of the National Languages desk of the private media group Omega Media, Traoré, known as Alain Alain, is also missing. He was abducted from his home at dawn on 13 July 2024 by two armed individuals. The Burkinabe government made no mention of this when it acknowledged the ‘recruitment’ of the other three journalists.
A second group of three journalists suddenly disappeared last March. Guezouma Sanogo, a journalist with Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina (RTB) and President of the Burkina Faso Journalists Association (AJB), Boukari Ouoba, an investigative journalist and Vice-President of the AJB, and Luc Pagbelguem, a journalist with BF1, reappeared in a video broadcast on 2 April, wearing military uniform.
They were arrested by men identifying themselves as intelligence officers on 24 March 2025, three days after the first two journalists criticised the country’s deteriorating media landscape.
Keynote speech for the Pan-African Media Councils Summit and the inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa
Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Communication and Information
Excellencies, Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished Guests, Esteemed Participants,
I am pleased to be here to address the second Pan-African Media Councils’ Summit, and to extend UNESCO greetings to all of you.
I would like to thank the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for its hospitality, and the Network of Independent Media Councils of Africa (NIMCA) for convening this important gathering.
I am also pleased to recognise the presence of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Honorary Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, whose work is essential in defending these fundamental rights.
We meet at a pivotal time. Across the globe, trust in media is being tested. Technology is transforming how information is produced and disseminated, and freedom of expression and access to information face growing pressure
In this context, we must remember the words that laid the foundation for the media landscape in Africa and beyond, more than 30 years ago in Namibia, through the Windhoek+30 Declaration: ‘The establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and sustainability of democracy in a nation.’
This vision – born in Africa and championed by Africans – remains more relevant than ever. Over the past three decades, countries across the continent have made significant progress in nurturing a vibrant media sector, driven by local efforts.
Much of this progress has been made possible by the creation of enabling environments: legal and policy frameworks that allow for independent regulators, support media self-regulation, and promote professional, ethical journalism. These foundations enabled journalism to thrive and gain people’s trust, even in the face of persistent and emerging challenges.
This Summit offers a critical opportunity to reaffirm a shared commitment: that journalism excellence is a cornerstone of democracy, human rights, and development in Africa
The central challenge before us is how to ensure that media and communication regulation keeps pace with rapid technological changes, while safeguarding information integrity, freedom of expression, and universal access to reliable information.
In the face of accelerating developments -Artificial Intelligence, disinformation, financial precarity – we must reflect on what forms of regulation are most effective, while remaining firmly grounded in international human rights’ standards.
When regulation is shaped by democratic principles, it can serve as an enabling force: protecting journalists, elevating standards, enhancing public trust and ensuring media freedom.
UNESCO’s Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, released in November 2023, offer a model for this approach. These Guidelines advocate for a human rights-based multistakeholder framework to ensure that digital platforms operate transparently, remain accountable and respect international freedom of expression norms.
We also recognise that effective regulation must be inclusive by design. It must embed gender equality, uphold disability rights and protect the voices of those most often marginalised. In Madagascar, for example, UNESCO supported the institutionalisation of anti-harassment policies across 40 radio stations.
Building on this, UNESCO and OHCHR are developing a Human Rights Impact Assessment Guidance for Digital Platforms, helping companies conduct risk assessments that are not only gender-sensitive but inter-sectional, supporting women journalists and human rights defenders to navigate and mitigate online threats.
As part of our broader commitment to foster an ‘Internet for trust’, UNESCO is working in close partnership with Hon. Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo to advance Resolution 630, adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in March 2025.
This Resolution tasks the Special Rapporteur with developing Guidelines to help States oversee technology companies’ responsibilities in upholding information integrity -including through independent fact-checking.
This work will integrate African perspectives into broader digital governance efforts, ensuring they reflect regional needs and realities
Ten universities have already launched initiatives focused on gender-sensitive reporting, Indigenous representation, environmental journalism, data literacy and media viability, ensuring that future journalists are equipped to navigate both local challenges and global trends.
At the heart of this work are national and regional media councils. When they are independent and accountable, these institutions serve as guardians of professionalism. They defend ethical journalism, address public complaints, support journalists’ safety and encourage self-regulation over State control.
These institutions must be protected, funded and respected as democratic actors. No single institution can meet these challenges alone. Cross-border collaboration and regional standards are essential
Through regional initiatives – from access to information reform to conflict-sensitive journalism and gender-based violence prevention – UNESCO has helped foster connections between media actors, governments and civil society across Africa.
Looking ahead, regulation must not merely respond to change; it must anticipate it. The transformative impact of AI, algorithmic governance and data-driven content distribution require forward-looking, human rights-based approaches. UNESCO is facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues across Africa and beyond, to ensure that innovation does not outpace our ethical and normative frameworks.
As the UN’s specialised agency for freedom of expression, UNESCO stands firmly behind African-led reforms that advance media freedom, pluralism, and sustainability. We are not just observers or advisors. We are committed partners.
As we look ahead, let’s reaffirm our commitment to these principles and to ensuring that Africa’s media landscape remains a beacon of democracy, dialogue, and sustainable development for generations to come. Your dedication as regulators, media councils, and partners is essential to building resilient information ecosystems, promoting accountability, and defending human rights.
UNESCO stands ready to deepen this collaboration, support innovation, and ensure that journalistic excellence continues to serve as a pillar of freedom and progress across the continent.
Thank you.
PICTURE: Dr Tawfik Jelassi joyfully receives a shuka, with all its rich history, at the Summit in Arusha. Ernest Sangura of the Media Council of Tanzania can be seen in the background
Keynote address for the Pan-African Media Councils Summit and the inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa
Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, Commissioner at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
Distinguished representatives of media councils, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
I am honoured to participate in and deliver the keynote address.
At the outset, allow me to express my regret at not being able to be with you in person at this august gathering due to unavoidable circumstances. However, I commend the organisers for convening this important meeting under the theme of ‘Advancing Media and Communication Regulations for Journalism Excellence in Africa’.
Freedom of expression gives special rights and duties to the media. The media informs society on matters of public interest and creates an important platform for public debate, scrutiny, and reflection
It can be said that independent media and quality journalism are considered to be watchdogs of a democratic society.
The Commission has consistently reiterated the importance of free expression and press freedom. These standards are reflected in the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, which was adopted by the Commission to give effect to Article 9, reaffirming in the preamble, and I quote: ‘ .. The key role of the media and other means of communication in ensuring full respect for the right to freedom of expression, promoting the free flow of information and ideas, assisting individuals in making informed decisions, and facilitating and strengthening democracy.’
It is for this reason that I hereby heartily commend the establishment of the Network of Independent Media Councils in Africa, or NIMCA, which was officially launched in May 2024 at the inaugural meeting of African media councils in Cape Town, South Africa.
NIMCA, a continental initiative, was founded to unite independent media content regulatory bodies across Africa, whose core values include freedom of expression and credible and accountable media, in addition to adherence to the Commission’s Declaration which includes several principles, but above all, stresses the importance of creating an enabling environment to achieve an independent media.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The media is entrusted with a very important role: to inform society about matters that are important to it and to create a platform for public debate, reflection, and scrutiny. A key aspect of media independence is the ability to regulate itself
It is for this reason that the Declaration includes principles on media independence.
The following are excerpts of its principles:
Principle 12 on Media Independence provides that, and I quote: ‘States shall guarantee the right to establish various forms of independent media, including print, broadcast and online media.’
‘Any registration system for the media shall be for administrative purposes only and shall not impose excessive fees or other restrictions on the media.
‘States shall develop regulatory environments that encourage media owners and media practitioners to reach agreements to guarantee editorial independence and to prevent commercial and other considerations from influencing media content.’
Furthermore, Principle 16 provides that ‘States shall encourage media self-regulation, which shall be impartial, expeditious, cost-effective and promote high standards in the media’.
‘Co-regulation may also be encouraged by states as a complement to self-regulation, founded on informed collaboration between stakeholders, including the public regulatory authority, media, and civil society’
These principles highlight the critical role played by independent media councils, in addition to the importance of media self-regulation mechanisms which are independent from government control and committed to upholding the ideals of a free press.
In addition to this, a crucial aspect of media independence is the ability of journalists and other media practitioners to work in environments conducive to their important work. It is for this reason that the Declaration stresses the important role that states play in ensuring such an enabling environment.
Specifically, Principles 19 and 20 call on States to ensure both the protection and safety of journalists and other media practitioners. Principle 20 specifically calls on States to guarantee the safety of journalists, take proactive measures to ensure their safety, raise awareness, build the capacities of journalists and policymakers, and – lastly – take legal and other measures to investigate and prosecute attacks against journalists while ensuring access to effective remedies.
Accordingly, the Declaration affirms the principles for anchoring the rights to freedom of expression and access to information in Africa, guided by hard and soft law standards drawn from African and international human rights instruments and standards, including the jurisprudence of African judicial bodies.
It seeks to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights enshrined in Article 9 of the Charter by State parties. However, it is equally important for stakeholders, including the media and civil society, to utilise the Declaration and its principles as a yardstick to gauge the extent to which these rights are protected.
Read ‘The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa celebrates 20 years’, here
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished participants,
The Commission has also undertaken other initiatives aimed at enhancing press freedom in Africa. For example, cognisant of emerging threats within the digital space, the Commission adopted Resolution 591 on the need to undertake a study on digital violence against women’s rights in Africa, in order to assess the underlying causes, manifestations, and impacts of digital violence against women in Africa.
The study will undoubtedly take note of the specific situation of female journalists in Africa, highlighting their concerns and proposing recommendations on the measures which can be taken to ensure their protection
In addition, an ongoing initiative of the special mechanism, as mandated by the Commission, is to advocate for the decriminalization of defamation and similar laws in Africa, as stated in Resolution 169on Repealing Criminal Defamation Laws in Africa.
Criminal defamation laws constitute a serious interference with freedom of expression and impinge on the role of the media as a watchdog, preventing journalists and media practitioners from practicing their profession without fear and in good faith.
This standard is similarly reflected in Principle 22 of the Declaration, providing inter alia that ‘States shall repeal laws that criminalise sedition, insult and publication of false news, in addition to amending criminal laws on defamation and libel in favour of civil sanctions, which must themselves be necessary and proportionate’.
Accordingly, the Commission, through its various interventions, is committed to working with States and other stakeholders to address all legal restrictions that violate the right to freedom of expression and access to information in Africa, as well as infringe on press freedom.
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished participants,
As you dwell on the various discussions under the global theme of this gathering, I hope you will continually consult the Declaration and indeed other soft law documents of the Commission, such as its Resolutions, which highlight the importance of freedom of expression and press freedom
While I am not with you in person, I am certain that the constructive deliberations which will be held will yield fruitful insights on the various ways to ensure media independence and press freedom in Africa.
I once again commend the various organisers of this important gathering and look forward to receiving the outcome document, which I hope will include recommendations on how we can work together to ensure the right to free expression for all, and to address the importance of the role played by independent media councils in Africa.
The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to release news commentator Badara Gadiaga, to cease arresting journalists and to refrain from retaliating against the media for coverage critical of the government.
Senegal’s Special Cybersecurity Division (DSC) arrested Gadiaga on 9 July 2025 over his remarks during a 4 July 2025 broadcast about Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. On 14 July 2025, a judge opened a judicial investigation and charged Gadiaga with spreading false news, immoral speech, insulting a person exercising the prerogatives of the head of state, and receiving or soliciting donations in order to engage in propaganda likely to disturb public order, his lawyer, El Hadji Omar Youm, told newsoutlets.
During the broadcast on private television channel Télé Futurs Médias (TFM), Gadiaga responded to criticism from a ruling party official by saying that the party should not give lessons in ethics because its leader, Sonko, had been ‘convicted of sexual abuse’
Sonko was sentencedin absentia in June 2023 to two years in prison for the ‘corruption of youth’. In April, Sonko said his opponents were using journalists and ‘so-called news commentators’ to spread false news and defame authorities.
‘These charges represent an escalation in the government’s punitive attitude toward the media and promote a dangerous conflation between the press and the political opposition,’ said Moussa Ngom, CPJ’s Francophone Africa representative.
‘Senegalese authorities must release news commentators Badara Gadiaga, Abdou Nguer, and Bachir Fofana, and refrain from reprisals against the media for their criticism. Alleged press offences should not be criminalised.’
On 10 July, Sonko alluded to the TV debate during a meeting with his party’s leadership and recommended that party members ‘stop going to television stations that fight [the party] … I fight those who fight me, and let those who use their tools to fight me know that I will go to the end’. He also called for a boycott of ‘television stations that fight him’.
L’Observateur, a newspaper owned by the same parent company as TFM, Groupe Futurs Médias, responded to Sonko’s comments with an editorial saying: ‘We are not a media affiliate of a party, nor a propaganda battalion, nor an instrument of validation. We are a newsroom’
Separately, deliberation of the trial of commentator Bachir Fofana, detained for allegedly spreading false news, has been postponed to 16 July, and another commentator, Abdou Nguer, has remained in prison since April on various charges.
CPJ’s calls to Sonko’s office and the justice ministry went unanswered.
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The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Senegalese authorities to release news commentator