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NED offers grants for media projects

Vivian Affoah
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The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is seeking proposals for projects that advance democratic goals and strengthen democratic institutions.

NED encourages applications from organizations working in diverse environments including newly established democracies, semi-authoritarian countries, highly repressive societies and countries undergoing democratic transition.

Grant amounts vary depending on the size and scope of the projects, but the average grant lasts 12 months and is around US$50,000.

NED is interested in proposals from organizations for nonpartisan programs that seek to: promote and defend human rights and the rule of law, support freedom of information and independent media, and promote accountability and transparency. Independent media organizations, civic groups and associations can apply.

The deadline to submit proposals is April 3.

For more information, click here.

UN fellowship for journalists from developing countries open

Vivian Affoah
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The Reham Al-Farra (RAF) Memorial Journalists Fellowship Program, established by the United Nations, provides journalists with an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the work of the United Nations in New York. It is also an opportunity to meet journalists from other countries and exchange ideas with U.N. communication professionals.

The 2015 fellowship will take place Sept. 10 to Oct. 8. The program is open to journalists from 35 countries, with the intention of selecting 15 candidates, each from a different country.

Journalists ages 22 to 35 from several developing countries and countries in transition can apply for a fellowship.

Participants will receive airfare and a daily allowance.

The deadline to apply is March 31.

For more information, click here.

Opportunity for Journalists: Training on illicit finance reporting

Vivian Affoah
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The Thomson Reuters Foundation, in partnership with the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) and others, is looking for journalists based anywhere in Africa to take part in a long-term scheme that will develop their ability to report on illicit finance and tax abuse.

Selected journalists will participate in two intensive workshops covering illicit finance, reporting on companies, accounts and budgets and investigative techniques. They will then join a regional team of reporters focusing on illicit finance.

The 2015 workshops are scheduled for June and September and will take place in a variety of locations including Uganda, South Africa, Senegal and Tunisia.

Business journalists with at least two years of experience can apply for this program.

The deadline to apply is April 5.

For more information, click here

Free photography training open

Vivian Affoah
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Photographers and photography instructors can apply for this free program in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg, in collaboration with the Market Photo Workshop, is organizing photo training courses and a curriculum development meeting on photography training, as part of the project Centers of Learning for Photography in Africa (CLPA).

The Training of Trainers of Photography will take place May 25 to 29, followed by the Curriculum Development Meeting, a photography training photography for advanced educators on June 1 and 2.

The program is open to candidates from all over the African continent. Participants will receive an all-expense paid trip to attend the training.

The deadline to apply is April 6.

For more information, click here.

Senegal Alert: Lawyer placed under committal order for comments against Senegal President

Vivian Affoah
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On March 17, 2015, El Hadji Amadou Sall was placed under a committal order, an order committing one to prison for making statements deemed offensive to Senegal President Macky Sall.

According to MFWA’s correspondent in Senegal, Sall’s committal is a result of his statements on March 15, during a rally in support of Karim Wade, a former minister and son of former president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade.

Karim Wade was charged with illegally enriching himself and is currently standing trial. Sall represents Karim Wade.

At the rally, Sall said, “If Macky Sall gets Karim Wade imprisoned, he (President Sall) will not spend a single night in the palace.” Sall also made other statements which were interpreted as a call for insurgency in the event that Karim Wade receives a prison sentence.

Following his remarks at the rally, Sall was taken into police custody by the Colobane Gendarmerie Squad (Dakar) and and placed under the committal order on March 17.

Nigeria Update: Journalists released on bail after 70 plus days in detention; charged with criminal defamation

Vivian Affoah
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Emmanuel Fateman and Joseph Jolayemi, detained staff of Abuja-based National WAVES magazine were released on bail earlier this month.

The MFWA’s correspondent in Nigeria reported that although their release has been confirmed, details are sketchy. Fateman and Jolayemi currently face criminal defamation charges while the magazine and its editor, Jimmey Enyeh, are facing a civil law suit.

The article at issue in the upcoming court cases discussed an allegedly fraudulent 650 million Naira (about US$ 3,250,000) contract awarded by the Bauchi State government to A. A. Oil Company Limited. On the orders of Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, the Chief Executive Officer of the oil company, Fateman and Jolayemi were arrested by officers of the Special Task Force on Terrorism and Heinous Crimes on December 16, 2014.

While Enyeh maintains that the magazine tried to get the side of Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, he says the magazine failed to contact him.

The journalists are due to appear in court on April 21, 2015. On February 20, 2015, the MFWA reported on the continuous detention of Fateman and Jolayemi and urged the Special Task Force to either immediately release the two or charge them.

The MFWA subsequently launched a global campaign through the IFEX network to petition the Nigeria Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, for the release of the journalists. While waiting for endorsements from IFEX members, the MFWA received information that Fateman and Jolayemi had been released. It is unclear if authorities got wind of the MFWA’s petition which had gained global support or if the journalists were released for other reasons.

ECOWAS Commissioner Pledges to Work with MFWA on Internet Freedom

Vivian Affoah
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The Commissioner for the ICT and Telecom Department of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Isaias Barreto da Rosa, has pledged to work with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to promote ICT development and improve the internet environment in West Africa.

Dr. Barreto da Rosa indicated his willingness to work with the MFWA when a delegation from the organisation called on him at his office in Abuja, Nigeria, on Tuesday, March 10,2015. The delegation briefed the Commissioner and senior staff of the ICT and Telecom Department, on MFWA’s internet freedom project and the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, a Pan-African Initiative to promote internet freedom in Africa.

The Board Chairman of the MFWA, Mr. Edetaen Ojo who led the MFWA delegation, briefed the Commissioner on the background and objectives of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, and called for the support of the Commissioner and ECOWAS in ensuring adoption and implementation of the principles of the Declaration by countries in the region. Mr. Ojo subsequently presented a copy of the Declaration to Commissioner.

For his part, the Executive Director of the MFWA, Sulemana Braimah, briefed the Commissioner on the organisation’s ongoing regional internet freedom project. The project seeks to highlight challenges of internet rights and usage in various countries of the region; mobilising and building civil society capacity to engage in internet rights advocacy; and working with governments to improve the internet environment in the region.

In his response, the ECOWAS Commissioner said, his Department prioritises the issues of internet governance, affordability and access by community citizens. “That explains why the Commission has offered to host the West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) in June this year during which stakeholders will discuss key issues around the governance of the internet,” said Dr. Barreto da Rosa. The Commissioner said a slot will be created during the WAIGF for a presentation and discussion of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms. 

The Commissioner further mentioned other initiatives of the ECOWAS Commission to improve ICT and telecom in the region. This included an ongoing effort to have regional reliable, modern broadband infrastructure and the process of harmonization of Telecommunications/ICT policies, legal and regulatory frameworks for the establishment of a single liberalized ICT market within the Community.

Dr. Barreto da Rosa said civil society organisations such as the MFWA had an important role to play in promoting regional texts and frameworks on ICT and Telecoms in the West Africa region. “I am happy to hear about the work of the MFWA and your efforts to complement what we are doing as ECOWAS by helping to popularise existing regional texts at the national level,” he said.

Dr. Rosa commended the MFWA for its work and expressed commitment to working with regional bodies such as the MFWA to improve policies and the internet environment in West Africa.

Also present at the meeting were Mr. David Kamara, Director of Telecommunications; Dr. Raphael Koffi, Principal Programme Officer and Head of Telecommunication and ICT Division; and Ms. Abigail Larbi Programme Officer at the MFWA.

Rights Advocates in Africa Commend Ghana on Internet Freedom

Vivian Affoah
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Rights Advocates in Africa Commend Ghana on Internet Freedom

Internet rights advocates representing various organisations across Africa have commended the Government of Ghana for progress the country has made in promoting and protecting Internet rights and freedoms locally and also, for the country’s commitment to global efforts to advance and defend internet rights.

The Internet rights advocates issued the statement at the end of a two-day meeting held in Accra on March 12 and 13. The meeting, hosted by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), discussed and reviewed a variety of issues relating to the popularization and implementation of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, a Pan-African initiative to help promote internet freedom in Africa.

The group “expresses sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Ghana under the leadership of His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, for the warm reception accorded the participants and, in particular, thank the Minister of Communications, Hon. Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, for accepting to receive the participants on a courtesy call, on behalf of the President of Ghana; and the Deputy Minister of Communications of Ghana, Mr. Ato Sarpong, for attending and declaring the meeting open.”

The group, however, raised concern about lingering challenges impeding the full enjoyment of Internet rights and freedoms in Ghana and other African countries, including the problems of inadequate access to the Internet by citizens, particularly women and other marginalized groups. Other concerns were the high cost of access, inadequate security and protection for Internet users online as well as the absence of a legal framework for access to information by citizens.

The group also welcomed commitments by Ghana’s Ministry of Communications to work with Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders to address outstanding challenges on internet freedom. It further urged other African governments to emulate the Government of Ghana and take urgent steps to address issues on internet governance, rights and freedoms within a multi-stakeholder framework.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Civil Society Organizations from Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda as well as international partners in the United Kingdom.

The statement issued by the group is below.

African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms

Resolutions

By the African Internet Rights Campaign

At their Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, on March 12 and 13, 2015

We, the promoters of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms, meeting in Accra, Ghana, on March 12 and 13, 2015 to discuss and review a variety of issues relating to the popularization and implementation of the Declaration on the African continent and beyond, unanimously adopt and issue the following resolutions:

  • The meeting expresses sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Ghana under the leadership of His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, for the warm reception accorded the participants and, in particular, thank the Minister of Communications, Hon. Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, for accepting to receive the participants on a courtesy call, on behalf of the President of Ghana; and the Deputy Minister of Communications of Ghana, Mr. Ato Sarpong, for attending and declaring the meeting open.
  • The meeting commends the Government of Ghana for the progress so far made in promoting and protecting Internet rights and freedoms as well as its commitment to global efforts to advance and defend these rights, expressed, for instance, through its membership of the Freedom Online Coalition, a partnership of 25 governments working to advance Internet freedom through diplomatic efforts as well as by engaging with civil society and the private sector to support freedoms of expression, association, assembly and privacy online throughout the world.
  • The meeting expresses concern about lingering challenges impeding the full enjoyment of Internet rights and freedoms in Ghana and other African countries, including the problems of inadequate access to the Internet for citizens, particularly women and other marginalized groups; the high cost of access, inadequate security and protection for Internet users online; and the absence of a legal framework for access to information by citizens.
  • The meeting welcomes the commitments made by the Ministry of Communications of Ghana to work with civil society organizations and other stakeholders to address the outstanding challenges. Other African governments are accordingly urged to emulate the government of Ghana and take urgent steps to address issues in internet governance, rights and freedoms within a multi-stakeholder framework.
  • The meeting further calls on African governments, pan-African organizations and regional bodies to endorse and implement the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms by applying the principles outlined in the Declaration in their policy and legislative processes relating to the Internet as well as by bringing their existing laws and policies into conformity with these principles.
  • The meeting commends ongoing country-level efforts on the continent around Internet freedom and urges  stakeholders behind such initiatives to adopt and apply the principles contained in the Declaration in their policy or legislative interventions to ensure Internet freedom in the respective countries.
  • The meeting resolves to launch the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms during the African Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) scheduled to take place before the end of the year in order to raise further awareness about the Declaration with a view to ensuring its implementation throughout the continent.
  • The participants thank the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) for organizing and hosting the meeting.

Adopted and issued in Accra, Ghana, by representatives of civil society organizations from Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda as well as international partners in the United Kingdom this Friday, the 13th Day of March, 2015.

www.africaninternetrights.org

Twitter: @AfricaNetRights; #AfricanInternetRights

Heads of Freedom Of Expression Organisations in Africa Meet in Accra On Internet Freedom

Vivian Affoah
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Heads of the most prominent freedom of expression organisations in Africa are holding a Strategy Meeting in Accra on March 12-13, 2015 to discuss internet freedom in Africa.

The meeting will mainly focus on the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms. It will specifically discuss strategies for creating awareness about the principles of the Declaration and seeking endorsement for the Declaration from all those who have stakes in the internet in Africa.

The African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms is a Pan-African initiative that seeks to elaborate on the principles which are necessary to uphold human and people’s rights on the internet. It also seeks to cultivate an internet environment that can best meet Africa’s social and economic development needs and goals.

“It is important to popularise the document so that all stakeholders, including the public appreciate its tenets and the need to safeguard our collective ability to connect, communicate and conduct business anytime, anywhere, around and across the world using the internet” said Dora B. Mawutor, Programme Officer at the Media Foundation for West Africa (the local organising organisation).

A special opening ceremony for this important meeting will be held on March 12, 2015 at the Mensvic Grand Hotel in East Legon, Accra. Ghana’s Minister of Communications is the Special Guest of Honour.

The opening session will bring together critical stakeholders in the internet ecosystem in Ghana including government, civil society, academia, technical and business communities, the media and the end-users.

Ghana was chosen for this all-important meeting in recognition of the country’s commendable media and freedom of expression environment. It is also in recognition of the country’s commitment to internet freedom which is demonstrated by Ghana’s place as one of the only three African countries that are members of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC).

The Gambia Alert: Journalists barred from covering court martial

Vivian Affoah
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Military personnel in The Gambia have barred journalists from covering the court martial proceedings of military officers accused of complicity in the December 30, 2014, attack on the official residence of President Yahya Jammeh in Banjul.

MFWA’s sources say reporters from The Gambia-based online newspaper, Gambia Affairs, The Standard and Foroyaa newspapers have all been refused entry on different occasions when they attempted to cover the proceedings.

On February 10, reporters working with The Standard and Foroyaa newspapers were denied access to cover court martial proceedings.

Two weeks later, on February 24, 2015, a reporter from Gambia Affairs was barred by military officers from attending the court martial. An armed military officer kept guard at the gate of the venue and reportedly told the journalist “no journalist is allowed to cover this case. It is different from other court martials.”

Guinea Alert: Journalist receives death threats over critical article

Vivian Affoah
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Alpha Kabinet Sidime, managing editor of the actuconakry.com website, has reported receiving death threats from unknown persons.

The MFWA’s correspondent in Guinea reported that the unknown persons ordered Sidime to remove a critical article on Cellou Dalein Diallo, the opposition leader in Guinea who placed second in the 2010 presidential election.

“These people hurled insults at me and my family,” Sidime told the correspondent.

Sidime told our correspondent that certain persons who claim to be activists of the Union des Forces Démocratiques de Guinée (Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea) anonymously threatened him on February13 and 14, 2014.

According to Sidime, the unknown persons said, “We are going to shut down this goddamned site, kill or send you to prison. We have the means to make you shut up.”

Guinea Alert: Journalists detained for investigating illegal activity

Vivian Affoah
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On February 27, 2015, members of the Guinean Police and gendarmes arrested and detained Mahmoud Diary Diallo, a reporter and host at radio Lynx FM, and Algassimou Diallo, a reporter of Espace TV.

The MFWA’s correspondent in Guinea reported that the two journalists were arrested by police officers and gendarmes on the orders of the Deputy Prefect of Thionthian, a village 70 km away from the capital Conakry.

The two journalists had gone to investigate a large-scale deforestation exercise when they were arrested and detained by police officers.

“We had finished the investigation,” Diallo told MFWA’s correspondent. “We were on our way back when the Deputy Prefect sent police officers to arrest us upon the request of the Prefect, his immediate superior officer.”

According to our correspondent, they were detained for five hours and their working equipment was seized before their release without any explanation.

Abdourahmane Bah, a resident of Thionthian, told the MFWA’s correspondent that he suspects some people involved in the illegal deforestation of trees must have “bribed the officers to get them to arrest the journalists because they do not want their dealings to appear in the media.”

The MFWA urges Guinean security forces to respect and protect press freedom in accordance with their human rights and legal obligations. We are increasingly concerned with state violence against journalists and once again call on the Guinean gendarmerie to cease its attacks on journalists.

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