The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) and Fondation Hirondelle (FH), will officially launch a new European Union-funded project in Guinea-Bissau on Monday, May 26, 2025. The 18-month initiative, titled “Promote and Protect Democracy by Safeguarding Freedom of Opinion and Expression and Combating Mis/Disinformation in Guinea-Bissau” seeks to address growing threats to press freedom and rising levels of disinformation in the country.
The launch event will take place at 10:00 AM GMT at Hala Hotel in Bissau. It will bring together representatives from media organisations, civil society, public institutions, international development partners, and religious bodies. The EU Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau will deliver a goodwill message, while the Minister of Communication will serve as the keynote speaker and formally inaugurate the project.
This timely intervention comes in response to increasing challenges to freedom of expression in Guinea-Bissau and the broader West African region, particularly during electoral periods. Disinformation, hate speech, and attacks on the press have become more frequent, posing significant risks to democratic governance and social cohesion.
The project aims to counter these threats by:
- Promoting a more secure and responsible media environment through strengthened ethical self-regulation;
- Improving the safety and protection of journalists via institutionalised safety policies and collaboration with regional and international protection networks;
- Enhancing the capacity of journalists and civil society actors to identify, counter, and prevent disinformation, hate speech, and attacks on press freedom;
- Expanding public awareness through inclusive media and information literacy (MIL) campaigns, particularly targeting youth and women.
This new initiative builds on the gains of the recently concluded EU-funded project, “Promoting Media Freedom and Access to Quality Information in Guinea-Bissau” which ended in September 2024.
The project consortium brings together complementary strengths: MFWA’s regional leadership and local partnerships; RSF’s global experience in advocacy and journalist protection; and Fondation Hirondelle’s expertise in innovative media content and civic education.
In the lead-up to the launch, the consortium has engaged with key stakeholders across the media landscape, civil society, and public institutions. The official launch marks the beginning of concerted and collaborative efforts to strengthen democratic resilience and build a vibrant, independent, and safe media ecosystem in Guinea-Bissau.