The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is convening its 1230th session focusing on the Protection of Journalists and Access to Information in Situations of Armed Conflicts in Africa.
This open session - the first time the PSC is convening such theme - coincides with the 10th anniversary of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI).
During its 70th plenary meeting in 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 68/163 in which it decided to proclaim 2nd November as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.’
To commemorate this anniversary, the AU and UNESCO are jointly planning to hold a global conference in Addis Ababa from 6 – 7 November 2024 under the theme of ‘Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies.’
The AU said in a statement Sunday, “Despite the provision of certain protection that is accorded to journalists under the international humanitarian law (IHL), such as immunity from military attacks and prisoner of war status for those accompanying armed forces, these protections are not always respected and journalists continue to face a wide range of threats, including censorship, harassment, arbitrary detention and even killings.”
According to the statement, there is a rise in journalist killings in conflict-affected countries. “Situations in which incidents of violence including the killing of journalists have been reported include the Sahel, Cameroon, DRC, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan among others.”
Kenya and Nigeria are countries that witnessed incidents of attacks and violence on media practitioners and journalists AU mentioned.
In Somalia, a country widely labeled as “one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work”, there have been “numerous violent attacks, threats, and instances of persecution against media workers” in 2023.
Among officials to address the event are AU Permanent Representative of Cameroon, Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Bankole Adeoye, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to information in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, and UNESCO Regional Adviser on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, Lydia Gachungi.