November 2025 was marked by alarming freedom of expression violations across West Africa: from the abduction and execution of a social media influencer in a public square, to a blogger arrested by the police, and to radio stations silenced.
Six (6) violations were documented across four countries; Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Ghana, including the gruesome murder of a young TikToker in Mali. This number of violations, especially in comparison with what was recorded in October, reveals the multifaceted nature of tactics deployed against freedom of expression in the region.
The Media Foundation for West Africa’s November monitoring reveals not just violations, but patterns that tell us something essential about the fragility of civic space and the lengths to which both military juntas and elected governments will go to control the narrative
This November 2025 report, put together by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), with support from the 11th Hour Project of The Schmidt Family Foundation, seeks to draw attention to the freedom of expression situation in West Africa, provide evidence for advocacy and policy interventions. Access the report here.
