Journalists have not had an easy time in the 20 years since Yahya Jammeh and his fellow army officers seized power in Gambia. Writers and editors have endured harassment, torture and imprisonment – some have left the country to escape persecution. In the one of the latest assaults on journalism, the editor and a contributor […]

It is tragic but hardly surprising when journalists or news organisations in Africa face subversion charges. Tanzania’s Ministry of Information recently employed laws against sedition and publishing state secrets to temporarily halt publication of two widely-read newspapers. Several Zambian journalists were hauled into court earlier this year, initially accused of sedition. Six Ethiopian journalists are serving prison sentences, […]

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) today marked the 19th anniversary of Gambian President Yahya Jammeh’s rise to power with the launch of a campaign to highlight the continued deterioration of press freedom in the country. The MFWA’s “Gambia Day of Action” calls on Internet users worldwide to protest a “new draconian Internet law” […]

The International Press Institute has condemned in strongest possible terms the recent passage of amendments to The Gambia’s Information and Communication Act, which will severely hamper press freedom, especially on the Internet, and have a strong chilling effect on journalists’ efforts to scrutinise their government. IPI urges lawmakers in The Gambia to repeal these amendments, […]