Audio: Militants fail to silence Mali's music

Listen to some of the music that Mali's musicians have put out in the face of musical censorship by religious extremists.

The day the music died in Mali

An overview by Freemuse of how music and musicians in Mali fared after a religious ban on music in the north.

16 Months Later: Nigeria's Freedom of Information Act

See our timeline of what's happened since Nigeria adopted a Freedom of Information Act in May 2011.

Boko Haram militants threaten further attacks on media

Less than a week after bomb attacks on media houses killed at least eight in Abuja and Kaduna, the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram has released a video claiming responsibility and threatening further attacks against media groups, reports Media Rights Agenda (MRA).

Media blackout follows coup

The coup against the government of Guinea-Bissau has been followed by "grave" media freedom violations, including threats to journalists, a news blackout and media censorship, say the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Freedom House.

President vows to reopen case of missing reporter

Eight years after Franco-Canadian journalist Guy-André Kieffer mysteriously disappeared in Abidjan, his case might get a second wind with Côte d'Ivoire's new President promising a special commission of enquiry, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Independent media one of the first casualties in coup

Mutinous soldiers who seized power last week from Mali's President Amadou Toumani Touré also occupied the headquarters of the state radio and TV broadcaster and interrupted other TV and radio shows, say Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Human Rights Watch. Some citizens turned to Twitter to get their news updates, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

UNESCO supports prize backed by African dictator

After nearly two years of debate, the executive board of UNESCO last week approved a life sciences prize sponsored by Africa's longest-serving dictator, despite intense lobbying by IFEX members and other international and African rights groups, as well as findings from UNESCO itself that the prize violates the organisation's own rules.

Journalist who wrote about genital mutilation forced into hiding

A woman journalist who reported on the practice of female genital mutilation in Liberia has gone into hiding after receiving death threats, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Former minister gets life sentence for seditious T-shirt

A former Gambian information minister has been sentenced to life for conspiring to overthrow the President with T-shirts demanding an end to dictatorship, report the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and ARTICLE 19.

Journalist killed while covering terrorist bombings

A TV reporter was gunned down in Kano, shortly after covering a series of deadly bombings on 20 January by the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Journalists caught in the middle of political rivalries at election time

In the wake of run-off elections in Liberia, seven broadcasters were closed down after three people died during fighting between riot police and opposition supporters, reports the Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP). The radio and television stations, which are perceived to be pro-opposition, have been accused of "disseminating hate speech."

TV journalist gunned down by notorious Islamic sect

A journalist was gunned down in front of his house by militants from the radical Islamic sect Boko Haram, report Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Media repression reported by IFEX members ahead of elections

In the week leading up to Cameroon's national elections, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) conducted a press freedom mission that concluded both the country's media laws and democratic participation require a major overhaul. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), meanwhile, reports on the detention and assault of journalists just one day before the elections.

UNESCO won't honour Africa's longest-serving dictator with namesake prize

UNESCO has once again announced it will not reinstate a life sciences prize funded by and named after Africa's longest-serving dictator, President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, report Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

IFEX members hounoured with pan-African award for freedom of information campaigns

IFEX congratulates Edetaen Ojo and Malcolm Joseph, the leaders of IFEX member groups in Nigeria and Liberia, for winning Africa's first awards for activism on access to information. The awards were handed out at the inaugural Pan African Conference on Access to Information, held in Cape Town, South Africa, this week, which was attended by numerous IFEX members involved in campaigning on the issue.

Despite democratic rise to power, president represses media freedom

Guinea's first democratically elected President survived an assassination attempt on 19 July after gunmen surrounded his home and pummeled it with heavy artillery. Three people were killed during two separate attacks. But President Alpha Condé immediately clamped down on any media coverage of the attack, a censorship that IFEX members report is emblematic of his contempt for the media, despite promises for positive change. During a May fact-finding mission to Guinea, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) found a thriving media landscape hindered by repressive media laws with journalists targeted by security forces and political interference.

Critical activists and journalists detained under "bogus charges"


As Gambian President Yahya Jammeh marked the 17th anniversary of his rule on 22 July, seven activists and journalists were charged with treason and sedition for distributing t-shirts with the slogan, "Coalition for Change - The Gambia: End Dictatorship Now." The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), other IFEX members and rights groups are sounding the alarm over the use of undemocratic laws to punish journalists and government critics and the repression of free speech in the country.

Suspects arrested in rare journalist murder

A police officer and two others have been arrested as suspects in the stabbing death of journalist Ibrahim Foday of "The Exclusive" newspaper near Freetown, Sierra Leone, say the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Freedom of information law is a victory for democracy

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has approved a freedom of information law, giving Nigerians the power and resources to unearth facts, battle corruption and hold officials and institutions accountable. Nigerian civil society groups, including IFEX member Media Rights Agenda (MRA), have fought for years to institutionalise transparency and accountability.