Journalists across Africa continue to face serious threats and obstacles to coverage of climate and environmental topics. The International Press Institute (IPI) documented 26 incidents of attacks and threats to journalists working on environmental topics in sub-Saharan Africa from October 2025 to March 2026.
IPI’s monitoring shows that journalists reporting critically on natural resource exploitation — especially illegal mining, deforestation, and oil management — are at particular risk. During this six-month period, IPI documented cases of journalists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, and Mozambique who faced assault, abuse, and threats while reporting on illegal mining and logging operations. In Chad and Namibia, reporters faced arrest and intimidation following scrutiny of management of national oil resources.
Journalists covering stories about land and water management and its impact on local communities also experienced harassment. These stories — frequently covering disruptions to lives and livelihoods stemming from mining or construction projects — underscore the often local nature of environmental stories and the crucial role that independent journalism plays in telling them and empowering communities.
The forms of attacks and threats documented by IPI include physical assault, intimidation, and arrest or other forms of legal harassment. Two journalists arrested during this period remain in detention. One, Gideon Madikatidze, was arrested in Zimbabwe in February on “cyberbullying” charges after his news outlet reported on suspected corruption in a multi-million dollar waste-to-energy deal between a private waste management company and the Zimbabwean authorities. That case underscores the growing use of “cybercrime” laws to target journalists in Africa and elsewhere, as IPI has previously documented.
State actors — especially police and security forces — remain a key source of threats to journalists covering environmental and climate topics. However, IPI’s monitoring also shows that local and foreign companies, non-state actors such as armed rebel groups, or local community members are also responsible for attacks or threats in some cases. This data broadly reinforces the findings of previous IPI research showing that the source of pressure on climate and environmental reporters is complex and often emanates from a nexus of actors with different vested interests, e.g., in natural resource exploitation. It also highlights challenges from conflict and weak rule of law in some areas.
More broadly, many of the cases surfaced by our documentation involve journalistic coverage of corruption and abuse of power that affects the public and local communities — underscoring the close links between environmental reporting and the watchdog reporting that is core to democratic governance.
Read more: IPI monitoring of attacks and threats to climate and environmental reporting in Africa
As part of its Africa programme, IPI is researching and documenting threats to journalists covering environmental and climate topics.
Countries across Africa face escalating climate and environmental challenges brought on by extreme weather events, water scarcity, and the adverse effects of natural resource extraction. These challenges affect lives and livelihoods in communities across the continent, while also fuelling instability and conflict as companies, governments, and armed groups compete for resources
Robust reporting on these topics is crucial to raising public awareness, holding governments and businesses accountable, and driving meaningful action and policy responses. Yet despite this crucial role, journalists in Africa covering climate and environmental issues face a wide range of barriers to their work, as actors with vested interests seek to silence critical reporting.
IPI works independently to research and verify cases using an established methodology. This includes working with local sources and partner organisations to cross-check data.
Data in this article reflect incidents documented by IPI between October 2025 and March 2026. Read our previous article on cases between April 2025 and September 2025.
Findings by country
Chad
Key background: Oil extraction and exportation have played a catalytic role in the rise of internal tensions in Chad. The country faces a range of climate and environmental challenges, including air pollution from oil exploitation; strife between farmers and herders over the scarcity of farmland, grazing land and water sources; and prolonged drought. Journalists in Chad operate in a hostile environment, face threats from armed groups, state authorities, and private interests, leading to self-censorship.- On January 24, 2026, security forces in N’djamena arrested and detained journalist Dikoua Innocent after he published a story on TikTok criticising the management of Chad’s oil resources. Innocent was interrogated and detained for three days. While no formal charges were filed, officials threatened him with potential prosecution at a later date. Innocent’s post criticised a purported plan by the Chadian state to sell assets of the former ExxonMobil company in the country to foreign interests.
DRC
Key background: The DRC’s eastern provinces, including North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, which are rich in natural mineral resources, have been the hotspot of attacks on journalists covering climate and environmental issues, including damage caused by unregulated mining as well as the human and environmental cost of regional conflict (as IPI previously reported). Journalists face violence and threats from state security forces and government militias as well as armed rebel groups.- Following the January 2026 landslide in the Rubaya coltan mining area that killed hundreds of people, the M23 rebel group — which seized parts of the area in early 2025 — barred journalists from covering the area. The accident resulted from a series of risky activities, including coltan mining on rugged, unstable terrain prone to landslides following heavy rainfall.
- In October 2025, the mayor of Kabinda, the capital city of Lomani province, threatened and accused journalist Michale Tanende of publishing false information. The incident followed the publication of an article on the news site Victoirerdc.net alleging that the mayor’s official residence was unhygienic and posed a risk to public health. The journalist wrote that failures in waste management and inadequate maintenance around the mayor’s residence had contributed to deteriorating sanitary conditions, creating a potential risk to public health in surrounding neighbourhoods. The mayor reportedly escalated her threats and rhetoric to include the journalist’s family as well.
- On January 6, 2026, elements of the cybersecurity unit attached to the presidential guard arrested journalist Stephane Shisso. The arrest followed the broadcast of a video on Nyota TV and Mbengu TV exposing land degradation, erosion caused by coltan mining activities, and lack of public infrastructure in the town of Kolwezi, a major mining city in Lualaba Province, widely known as a central hub for copper and cobalt mining. Shisso’s colleague Guelord Shamba, with whom he worked on the video, self-exiled out of fear of being arrested and for his safety. Shisso was transferred from Lubumbashi, the capital city of Haut-Katanga Province, located in the extreme southeastern part of the country, to the military prison of Ndolo, in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC. He has been detained over the last four months, without being formally notified of the charges levelled against him.
Ghana
Key background: ‘’Galamsey’’ is a term increasingly used in Ghana to refer to illegal, small-scale gold mining — an activity that has intensified in recent years in the Ashanti region and other areas. Authorities’ efforts to curb the damage have had middling results because of the complexity of the issue, amid political and socio-economic interests. Agricultural land, river bodies, and forestry continue to be impacted negatively. On multiple occasions, journalists reporting on the environmental damages resulting from illegal mining have been attacked by miners. These attacks — together with the illegal mining itself — continue with quasi-impunity.- In November 2025, at a mining site in the Obuasi area of the Ashanti Region, illegal miners attacked at least five journalists from different media houses as well as officers of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who were operating to shut down illegal facilities. The incident led to a serious road accident while the journalists and EPA team were fleeing. The journalists involved in the attack included Akwasi Adomako from JoyNews/Multimedia, a camera technician who suffered a severe thigh injury and a broken leg and required surgery; Luv FM and Joy News journalist Nana Yaw Gyimah; and Joseph Obeng of Nhyira FM/Adom News, who both sustained head injuries. Journalist Doris Lonta of Channel One/Citi FM and Ibrahim Abubakar of TV3/Akoma FM sustained chest pains. Authorities responded with a joint police-military operation, resulting in the arrest of over 400 individuals in the Ashanti and Ahafo regions.
- On two instances, a judge in Accra court issued a gag order, forbidding the publication of a story on a controversial land acquisition. On November 7, 2025, Justice Nana Brew ordered a permanent injunction against journalist Innocent Samuel Appiah, preventing him from publishing an investigative story on Cynthia Adjei, CEO of Lysaro Group, over irregular land deals, contracts, and tax compliance. The journalist reported that Adjei was leveraging her husband’s political connections to acquire land and evade taxes. The court had previously issued an interim injunction on June 5, 2025, after Appiah invited Adjei to exercise her right to reply. In the November 7 ruling, the court stated that the investigation violated Adjei’s right to privacy simply by asking questions. The court ordered Appiah to liaise with law enforcement and fined him 10,000 Ghanaian cedi in costs (about $850).
- On January 19, 2026, illegal miners assaulted journalist Timothy Ngnenbe and his accompanying camera person, both working with the state-owned newspaper Daily Graphic, in the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve during a joint operation with the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the Forestry Commission. The journalist joined the RRT to investigate illegal mining activities in the forest reserves. The journalists and RRT officers were ambushed by a gun-wielding group, who threatened the journalists, apparently as they feared being exposed by the reporting, and forced them to delete all pictures and videos taken during the investigation, before letting them go.
Mozambique
Key background: Mozambique faces a multifaceted threat from climate and environmental disasters, compounded by conflict in the enclave of Cabo Delgado. Frequent cyclones, floods, and droughts have devastated agriculture and infrastructure. Meanwhile, a new report by local experts underscores that press freedom in Mozambique faces a systemic crackdown on independent journalism amid state attempts to control media narratives and public discourse. This report echoes the findings of IPI’s 2022 mission report on Mozambique, which highlighted the pressure exerted on the media as well as unresolved cases of enforced disappearance and killing of journalists. Authorities demonstrate intolerance of dissent on sensitive issues, such as the conflict in Cabo Delgado as well as climate and environmental reporting on illegal mining, land disputes, and resource exploitation.- On February 4, 2026, unknown individuals dressed in police uniforms shot at journalist Carlitos Cadangue’s vehicle while he was driving home with his son in Chimoio, Manica province. Cadangue works for SOICO Television (STV). The attempted killing of Cadangue is reportedly linked to his reporting on illegal mining and pollution in Manica province, which led the government to impose a temporary ban on mining in the area while an investigation into the allegations was underway. Cadangue had previously been threatened by powerful actors invested in the mining industry, who were angered by his coverage.
- In late 2025, journalist Estacio Valoi reported that he was the target of intimidation and threats by the company Safi Timber, a logging contractor/timber exporter based in Mozambique. On December 24, 2025, Valoi received a threatening email from Safi Timber. The threatening message was also sent to several national and international media outlets with which the journalist collaborated. In the email message, the company ordered the journalist to delete the report or face legal action. The threat was in connection with a series of investigative reports published between 2024 and 2025 into the smuggling of timber from Mozambique to China, involving the company Safi Timber. Safi Timber’s licenses were suspended in August 2025 by the Mozambican government following allegations of illegal logging, which led to a fierce legal battle and threats against investigators.
Namibia
Key background: Key environmental and climate threats in Namibia include severe land degradation, erratic rainfall and desertification, bush encroachment, and high human-wildlife conflict, which threaten agriculture and rural livelihoods. Several incidents of threats against journalists have recently hampered the country’s press freedom landscape, which has traditionally been considered freer.- Security forces from the Namibia presidency forcibly escorted out and barred journalist Jemmima Beukes of the news outlet The Whistle from covering the opening of President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s cabinet. The incident occurred on February 2, 2026, when security personnel removed Beukes from Namibia’s State House after she asked the president a question about the alleged involvement of the president’s family in the control of Namibia’s oil industry. Security officers also confiscated the phone Beukes had used to record the incident. State House officers took pictures of her car and threatened her with arrest, telling Beukes this was in response to her asking a question after the president had told her not to.
Kenya
Key background: Kenya has increasingly faced severe consequences from climate change, including droughts (which have led to high livestock mortality) and severe flooding. To respond to these challenges, the country has put in place tracking and reporting mechanisms around climate change challenges and adaptation.- Community members unhappy about the demolition of their homes for a gold mining project harassed and physically attacked journalist Violet Auma of TV/Radio 47 and others from KTN and NTV media outlets. The incident occurred while Auma and other journalists, including Fidel Mbaraka, Mumo Munuve, and William Akosi, were covering an anti-government protest. According to reports, the protesters were demonstrating against the demolition of homes to allow gold mining in the Isulu area of Kakamega county. The journalists’ work equipment was damaged during the attack.
Somalia
Key background: Somalia has recently adopted legislation to address environmental challenges, land management issues, droughts, and land degradation. The country is confronted with both insecurity and the acute impacts of climate change. On the other hand, last year, the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland also declared a national emergency as drought affected four regions.- On November 21, 2025, police physically assaulted and detained Somali Himilo Media photojournalist Abdullahi Mohamed Ali while he was covering a peaceful public protest against forced eviction and land grabbing in the Yaaqshiid district, Mogadishu. The police also confiscated his equipment, including his mobile phone. According to reports, powerful politicians and businesspeople are implicated in the land-grabbing allegations. Ali’s family was not allowed to see him while in detention. He was denied access to a lawyer during interrogations. He was charged with mobilising the protestors and inciting the public, but was later released on November 24, due to a lack of evidence.
- On February 21, Laascaanood police briefly arrested Mowliid Ismaaciil of Halbeeg Media after he recorded protests by local community members in Laascaanood who were opposing a planned forced eviction allegedly linked to the mayor of Laascaanood. The incident highlights repeated tensions over access and use of land, with police targeting journalists covering public protests against local authorities. He was released after spending two hours in police custody and after all video clips were deleted.
- On March 18, armed police officers assaulted and arrested journalist Amiro Ibrahim of Kaab TV and Iqro Abdirahman, a journalist with Five Somali TV, in the Dayniile district in Mogadishu. The two journalists were covering a violent police crackdown on a local protest against land grabbing reported linked to politically connected individuals, resulting in mass forced evictions. Both journalists were detained for several hours and threatened with reprisals should they continue reporting on the issue. The police also confiscated their equipment, but later returned it. That evening, police again assaulted and arrested Abdirahman at her home. She was released the following day.
- On March 4, police in Erigabo arrested journalist Mohamed Saleban Ahmed, known as Suute, after a news report he published in February that discussed severe drought affecting the local communities in the Sool and Sanaag regions. The report included interviews with rural communities that said they had not received aid despite being severely affected by the ongoing drought. The revelations of the report were apparently not to the liking of the authorities in Somaliland’s Erigabo District. Though the journalist was released, he was forced to appear twice before a court, on charges of ‘’spreading false information’’.
Tanzania
Key background: Tanzania is another country that faces climate change challenges. According to the World Bank’s Climate Change and Development Report, key challenges include high deforestation rates, land degradation, and declining water resources, impacting agriculture and livelihood.- On 27 March, two broadcast journalists from Lumeni radio station in Karatu, Arusha region, Norbert Hongoli and Wolter John Mbaga, were detained following orders from District Commissioner Lameck Karanga. Their detention was prompted by the publication of news about rising water levels in a local dam. The journalists were accused of causing public fear of potential flooding.
Togo
Key background: Togo faces several risks associated with climate change, including coastal erosion, recurrent flooding, pressures on forest resources, soil degradation, prolonged drought, and intense heat waves. Recently, the country adopted a bill to amend environmental and climate change legislation by introducing a carbon tax. Togo has also established a mechanism to monitor greenhouse gas emissions and progress.- On February 16, 2026, journalist Roger Amemavoh of the online media outlet Capture Media became a target of threats after publishing an investigative report on access to land and construction disputes. In the publication, residents in the area expressed their concerns about how the construction and irrigation system had disrupted their lives, especially women, and some were being forced to leave their homes. In a YouTube video, the journalist alleged that he had received messages warning him of imminent danger. He shared screenshots of conversations in which acquaintances cautioned him that influential individuals linked to the Laté Kopé dispute were angered by his reporting and were attempting to locate him. Additionally, he was summoned by the media regulator (the High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication), where he was accused of reporting in a one-sided manner.
Zimbabwe
Key background: As Zimbabwe faces the impact of global climate change, journalists and critical media outlets face increased attacks and threats, including detention, exile, and legal harassment.- Following the publication in December 2025 of a story on the online news portal Bulawayo 24 about suspected bribery and corruption involving Geo Pomona Waste Management (Pvt) Ltd, a company involved in a multi-million-dollar waste-to-energy deal with the Zimbabwean government – journalist Gideon Madikatidze was arrested and detained on February 18, 2026, on charges of cyberbullying and broadcasting without a license. He has been charged with contravening sections of the Broadcasting Services Act and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Madzikatidze was granted bail and released after spending almost three months behind bars.