Press freedom in Africa under threat

In Uganda, journalists who criticize the government are attacked or kidnapped, while President Yoweri Museveni even described journalists as "parasites" in 2018. Authorities have repeatedly prevented the broadcast of television reports, and threaten to shut down TV stations. A social media tax — the first of its kind in Africa — was introduced in 2018.

Ethiopia, on the other hand, is making progress. Since April 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has facilitated the release of imprisoned journalists and restored access to 250 news websites. Ethiopian TV stations based outside of the country can now also work freely. A commission is currently underway to revise strict media laws, but changes are still pending.

The media in Eritrea is under the complete control of President Issayas Afeworki. The government shut down all independent outlets in 2001. The only independent radio station currently is Radia Erena, which is run by exiled Eritrean journalists. But its signal is often blocked. Eritrea is ranked third-to-last on the Press Freedom Index, ahead of only North Korea and Turkmenistan.

Media in Sudan suffered particularly in 2018 under former president Omar al-Bashir. In December approximately 100 journalists were arrested. The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) shut down opposition newspapers. Journalists are forbidden to publish stories which cover any of the 15 so-called 'red line' topics, including the NISS and the army.

Following an attempted coup in 2015, most independent radio stations remain closed. Journalists either live in exile or find it difficult to work freely. By 2018, the media landscape was characterized by fear and self-censorship. In May 2018, Karenga Ramadhan, the president of the National Communications Bureau, announced the suspension of the broadcast of the BBC and Voice of America (VOA).

Despite a change of government in 2017, all media outlets are still monitored by authorities. Only Radio Ecclesia and a few websites currently broadcast critical reports. It is difficult to obtain new radio and TV licenses, while all stations are legally required to broadcast presidential speeches. But the 2018 publication of opposition reports in state newspapers is encouraging.

Most publications under the government of President Ali Bongo are partisan in nature. There is also self-censorship. In 2018, both the national media and a foreign broadcaster were sanctioned for criticizing the president and his staff. In January, the government cut off access to the internet and other broadcasters following an attempted coup.

Most press freedom violations in sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 took place in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Violence, media shut-downs and internet cuts are limiting press freedom. Broadcasters were pulled off the air after being accused of criticizing the government — then under Joseph Kabila. But new president Felix Tshisekedi says he wants to improve the media situation in the country.

Any criticism of President Idriss Deby is not tolerated and may even lead to the expulsion of foreign journalists or the kidnapping and detention of Chadian journalists and broadcasters being shut down. In February 2018, media outlets in Chad organized a "Day without Press" protest and stopped reporting entirely. The government retaliated by shutting down social media for a year.

President John Magufuli has been suppressing critics since taking office in 2015. More than a dozen media outlets have been shut down and websites and new blogs must pay high fees if they want to stay online. In February 2019, the newspaper The Citizen was forced to close for a week after being accused of deliberately publishing false information.

Under President Paul Kagame, the press is still tightly controlled. Foreign journalists are often not given accreditation. The 1994 genocide is referenced when the government calls critical journalists "divisionists." Many Rwandan journalists have fled the country and work in exile, leading the government to increasingly block access to foreign broadcasters such as the BBC.

Since 2016, political tensions have been used as an excuse to undermine freedom of information and the independent press in Zambia. The authorities have shut down the country's main independent newspaper, The Post, and several radio and TV stations had their licenses taken away. In March, a private TV station was forced to close because its reporting was considered biased.