Eastern Africa Editors Society Media Freedom Advocacy for June and July
In June, our focus and attention was drawn to the Sudanese press. Ever since the war broke out in April 2023, the situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate and as it becomes a humanitarian crisis, journalists have been caught in the rift between the military and the opposing forces, they have been intimidated, fired, harassed and threatened to leave some languish in jail while others have fled into Chad, South Sudan, Middle East and some sought asylum across the continent.
The Sudanese convening painted a volatile situation that has not been given the weight it deserves, this is an argument put across by human rights defenders who formed part of our panellist."It’s unfortunate that the African Union and other international bodies have continued to ignore the plight of the Sudanese war whereas people are left homeless and in dire need of help” laments the speaker.
key issues raised by members of the Sudanese Journalist Syndicate.
Constant harassment and intimidation by the RSF and the military, reports indicate that Journalists have been robbed by the militia and military forces, taking away their equipment, press passes as well as their belongings. Their security has been under attack which has led to some fleeing the country.
There is constant Internet disruptions, this is an effort to curtail the flow of information, it was also reported that the Sudanese government has issued an internet blackout so that information would not get out of the country.
Economic challenges as the journalists cannot afford basic needs.
Media houses are inaccessible due to their locality and being barricaded by the government, in return, the journalists cannot continue operating free of intimidation and harassment. It was reported that journalists were facing financial constraints as they can’t due to the closure of some media houses and the operational ones couldn’t pay enough.
July’s convening took a turn focusing on the powerhouse in media in the region, Kenyan media and the impact of the new Tanzania media laws. From the discussants, the majority felt that there was state interference and censorship and impersonation of the media by security forces in order to get to the protesters, This has been condemned in totality by the various media stakeholders, recognising that if this trajectory doesn’t change, woe unto the media houses and the power of the pen members as the chicken come homes to roost. It has emerged that Kenyan media is also under attack from the government, There have been reports of physical attacks on journalists and media houses where journalists in Kenya have been barred from covering very sensitive news by the government.
Crossing borders to Tanzania, the counterparts had some positive news to report saying, that the new administration has given them a chance for revival. They credited President Samia Suluhu for improving the state of media in the country.
More issues were raised regarding the state of media in Africa as a whole, and there was a concern of media freedom violations in most African countries.
There was a call for the African Media and all the stakeholders to unite and form one body that will push and advocate for Press freedom.
Reporters Without Borders' 2023 press rankings show that media freedom and safety have decreased in the region, and journalists must work twice as hard to protect themselves. We must stand together and speak out against the injustices they face, as together can we make progress.
To sum it up, it is important for individuals and organisations to advocate for press freedom and to hold those who seek to restrict it accountable. This includes supporting independent media outlets, advocating for legal protections for journalists, and speaking out against censorship and other forms of government control over the media.