Foundation warns of rapid decline in press freedom across Africa

The Africa Media Development Foundation has warned that press freedom across Africa is rapidly deteriorating, with journalists increasingly exposed to violence, repression, and systemic restrictions.

In a statement by the Foundation’s Press Freedom Manager, Zhiroh Jatau, issued on Sunday in Kaduna to commemorate the 2026 World Press Freedom Day, the organisation said a review of multiple monitoring platforms, including its Africa-wide Press Freedom Tracker, revealed a troubling and consistent decline in media freedom across the continent.

According to the group, recent data shows that Sudan recorded the highest number of journalist killings in Africa in 2025, alongside a rising number of missing media professionals, highlighting the grave dangers faced by reporters, particularly in conflict zones.

“The evidence across multiple trackers, including our own, points to a single conclusion: press freedom in Africa is under serious threat.

“These are not isolated developments but part of a wider pattern that demands urgent and collective action”, AMDF said.

The foundation also identified Eritrea as Africa’s leading jailer of journalists, citing cases of prolonged and arbitrary detention without due process.

AMDF further noted that in the Sahel region—especially Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—military-led governments have intensified crackdowns on independent media, stifling dissent and restricting access to information.

It added that in the Great Lakes region, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, journalism is increasingly being criminalised, with reporters subjected to harassment, intimidation, and prosecution.

In West Africa, the group described Nigeria as one of the most dangerous environments for journalists, pointing to frequent attacks by both state and non-state actors.

“These patterns reflect a broader continental reality in which press freedom is under sustained and coordinated pressure,” the statement added.

The organisation listed Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Rwanda as countries where conditions for journalists are most critical, warning that media practitioners in these nations face risks of arbitrary detention, torture, and even death.

AMDF called on African governments to uphold their constitutional and international obligations to protect freedom of expression and ensure media independence.

It also urged the African Union and other regional bodies to take decisive action against violations of press freedom, while calling on the international community to strengthen protection mechanisms for journalists at risk.

“As Africa marks World Press Freedom Day 2026, it is crucial to recognise that protecting journalists is essential to safeguarding democracy.

“Without a free and independent press, there can be no transparency, accountability, or sustainable development”, the organisation stated.

PUNCH Online reports that World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3, underscores the importance of a free and independent media and serves as a reminder to governments of their responsibility to uphold freedom of expression.

Across Africa, media freedom continues to face persistent challenges, often shaped by political instability, armed conflicts, and tightening state controls, with recent trends indicating a shrinking civic space and growing hostility toward journalists.